Poetry and technique: concrete poetry in Brazil

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Abstract. Drawing on the writings of leading participants such as Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, this article examines the emergence of Concrete Poetry in postwar Brazil. Although literacy was then rapidly increasing, the status of poetry was challenged by the new media, such as film, that drew mass audiences. Responding to this challenge, Concrete Poetry did not retreat into a Classical revival, but aimed at a style of verse rooted in the realities of modern technology, and capable of being popular. It thus claimed to be true not only to its time, but also to its literary heritage--a heritage that was in fact validated rather than betrayed by its modernity.

Keywords. Concrete poetry; Brazil; Mass Media

Paulo Franchetti