João Cabral de Melo Neto

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João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920-1999) was born in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and is considered one of the greatest Brazilian poets of all time. His style is quite unique, going against what most people think of poetry, be it the classical sonnet form or the free-verse form of nowadays.

He is often quoted saying "I try not to perfume the flower". His works are said to be dry, devoid of exaggerated emotions that is usually associated with poetry, sticking usually to images and actions and physical descriptions rather than feelings. The image of an engineer designing a building is often used to describe his poetry. It usually follows a strict meter and assonant rhymes.

He worked as a diplomat for most of his life.

In 1990, he won the Camoens Prize, the greatest prize in literature of the Portuguese language. In 1992, João Cabral received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, that some consider to be almost as prestigious as the Nobel Prize.

[edit] Works

Melo Neto's most famous poems are:

"Morte e Vida Severina" (translated in part by Elizabeth Bishop as "Death and Life of a Severino"), his most famous work, is a very long narrative poem (in most editions it goes over 80 pages) that describes the life of a poor country man in the dry northeastern part of Brazil.
"Uma Faca só Lâmina" (A Knife All Blade) is also considered to be one of his best works, and was translated to English in 1980. The poem is about the many ways to describe "that sorrowful absence in a man".
"Cão sem Plumas" (A Dog Without Plumes) describes the Capibaribe river of Pernambuco, and the poverty-stricken community that surrounds it.

[edit] Poetry

Pedra do Sono (1942)
Os Três Mal-Amados (1943)
O Engenheiro (1945)
Psicologia da Composição com a Fábula de Anfion e Antiode (1947)
O Cão Sem Plumas (1950)
O Rio ou Relação da Viagem que Faz o Capibaribe de Sua Nascente à Cidade do Recife (1954)
Dois Parlamentos (1960)
Quaderna (1960)
A Educação pela Pedra (1966)
Museu de Tudo (1975)
A Escola das Facas (1980)
Auto do Frade (1984)
Agrestes (1985)
Crime na Calle Relator (1987)
Primeiros Poemas (1990)
Sevilha Andando (1990)