History, memory and subjectivity in João Cabral

Abstract

The sugar-cane universe pointed out in the writing of João Cabral de Melo Neto has rarely been associated with his family and, by extension, their historical experience. From the poem “Seu Melo, do Engenho Tabocas”, published in Agrestes (1986), the subjective and historical memory will be explored, considering the property of his great-grandfather - converted to character into the poem. Thus, the author shall be taken inside the ambiance, representative of Brazilian history, which brings a number of contradictions, whose consequences are identifiable in their social environment and in the poet’s expression.