''Caramuru'' is an

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

written by colonial Brazilian Augustinian friar

Santa Rita Durão José de Santa Rita Durão (1722–1784), known simply as Santa Rita Durão, was a Colonial Brazilian Neoclassic poet, orator and Augustinian friar. He is considered a forerunner of " Indianism" in Brazilian literature, with his epic poem ''Car ...

. It was published in 1781 and is one of the most famous Indianist works of Brazilian Neoclassicism – the other being

Basílio da Gama José Basílio da Gama (April 10, 1740 – July 31, 1795) was a Portuguese poet and member of the Society of Jesus, born in the colony of Brazil, famous for the epic poem '' O Uraguai''. He wrote under pen name Termindo Sipílio. He is patron of t ...

's '' O Uraguai''.

Theme

Inspired by

Luís de Camões Luís Vaz de Camões (; sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns, ; c. 1524 or 1525 – 10 June 1580) is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespear ...

' ''

The Lusiads ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', it is divided in ten ''cantos''. The poem tells the story of the famous Portuguese sailor Diogo Álvares Correia, known as "Caramuru" ( Old Tupi for "Son of the Thunder"), who shipwrecked on the shores of present-day

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...

and had to live among the local

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. The poem also alludes to Correia's wife, Catarina Paraguaçu, as a seer, being able to foresee the Dutch invasions of Brazil.

Form

The poem is written in

ottava rima Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio. The ott ...

(''oitava rima'' in Portuguese).Oitava rima at dicionarioinformal.com.br.
/ref> The lines consist of ten syllables and the strophe rhymes according to the abababcc pattern. Here is the first stanza of the poem. The hero "Filho do Trovão" is introduced in it. :''De um varão em mil casos agitados,'' :''Que as praias discorrendo do Ocidente,'' :''Descobriu recôncavo afamado'' :''Da capital brasílica potente;'' :''Do Filho do Trovão denominado,'' :''Que o peito domar soube à fera gente,'' :''O valor cantarei na adversa sorte,'' :''Pois só conheço herói quem nela é forte.''

Adaptations

* '' Caramuru: A Invenção do Brasil'', a 2001 Brazilian film directed by Guel Arraes, is a loose, comedic adaptation of Durão's poem.

References

Criticism

“The ancient Portugal reborn in the Brazil”: The myth of Portuguese - Brazilian Empire in the epic poem Caramuru by Santa Rita Durão.

Belinda Mora García, The Aeneid of Brazil : Caramuru (1781).
1781 books Brazilian books Brazilian poems Epic poems in Portuguese 1781 poems 18th-century Brazilian literature {{Poem-stub

Theme

Form

Adaptations

See also

References

Criticism