Drummond and Portuguese neorealism: Confluences of an engaged literature

Abstract

Between the 1930s and 1940s, the Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) produced a type of literature engaged, under the strong influence of socialist ideas, in a political key that would mark his verses until the end of the Second World War. This position, rare among Brazilian poets, seems to reflect the ideological climate of the time, converging with the position of many European authors linked to international communism. In this article, we explore the points of contact between Drummond's production in this period, and the engaged literature that emerged in Spain and Portugal at the same time, influenced by the Spanish Civil War and the Portuguese neo-realist movement. The convergence of themes, jargon and images invites us to reflect on the ideological conflict that Europe was experiencing at the time and the extent of its influence in the countries of Latin America.