Poetic deviation through irony in the 19th century

an analysis of Voos do tambaqui, by Corrêa de Miranda (1869)

Abstract

Although humor does not represent a fundamental element in the construction of Brazilian Romanticism, it can be observed in some author’s works, mainly those of the second generation. In this study, this notion was linked to the concept of "romantic irony," a theory established by Friedrich Schlegel (1991) and developed by Lélia Duarte (1994) and Constantino Medeiros (2014; 2015), which refers to the essence of subjectivism and the self-representation of the poet. Thereby, the study sought to identify humor in the poetic collection of Corrêa de Miranda (1823-1885), a nearly unknown author from the Amazon region. On this occasion, in addition to determining the ironic and provocative aspects that constitute moments in the author's work, an attempt was made to delineate his construction as a poet through the lens of the concept of Clinamen (poetic deviation), proposed by Harold Bloom (2002 [1973]), to his formation as a poet. Furthermore, developing the context of the local press during the period of the author's emergence was of utmost importance to understand the "controversial" behaviors that engendered his ironic character. The literature review, on the other hand, prioritizes the contributions of Antonio Candido (1975) to address literary historiography, specifically his analyses regarding Romanticism. Therefore, it can be inferred that although the author's liberal character preliminarily classifies him as romantic, the poetic deviation is revealed through the eccentricity of the humor in his work in addition to possessing characteristics that refer to Realism.