Elegy 1938 by Carlos Drummond de Andrade
The poem is a lament for the loss of innocence and the disillusionment with modernity. It expresses a sense of disconnection between the individual and society, as well as the fragmentation of human experience. The speaker reflects on the passing of time, the fleeting nature of life, and the impossibility of recapturing the past.
By Carlos Drummond de Andrade · First published 1940 · Genre: Poetry, Modernist, Social Commentary · 223 words
First lines
You work without joy for a worn-out world whose forms and actions set no example.
You laboriously perform the universal motions, you feel heat and cold, lack of money, hunger, and sexual desire.
Heroes fill the city parks where you drag your feet, and they preach virtue, renunciation, fortitude, vision.
At night, if it drizzles, they open bronze umbrella or retreat to the tomes of sinister libraries.
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Elegy 1938 is listed on Textopian as a poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, dated 1940 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Carlos Drummond de Andrade
- Date: 1940 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Modernist, Social Commentary, Philosophical, Political
- Length: 223 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Elegy 1938 by Carlos Drummond de Andrade
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in a poetic form with a focus on lyrical expression and emotional depth.
- Modernist — The themes and style reflect modernist concerns such as alienation, existential despair, and critique of contemporary society.
- Social Commentary — The text critiques societal issues like war, unemployment, and economic disparity.
- Philosophical — The work explores deep philosophical questions about existence, purpose, and human suffering.
Tags
Brazilian Literature · Poetry · Elegy · Historical Fiction · War Poetry · Mourning · Loss · Grief · Nostalgia · Memory · History · Politics