A um Bruxo, Com Amor

Carlos Drummond de Andrade's poem "A um Bruxo, Com Amor" is a profound and intricate tribute to a figure who embodies wisdom, experience, and a deep understanding of life. The poem is set in a house on Rua Cosme Velho, a place that seems to exist in a timeless void. The speaker visits this house and is received in a simple room where past thoughts and experiences are revisited, shedding their old colors and questioning the sky and night anew. This setting creates an atmosphere of reflection and contemplation, suggesting that the wizard has lived a full life, reading not just a chapter but the entire book of life, which has left him weary yet illuminated by a light that comes from within, as all external sources of light are extinguished.

The wizard shares his knowledge in a soft voice, discussing ways of love, governance, and the moral geology of characters like Lobo Neves. He observes the world with a detached curiosity, finding a peculiar pleasure in the mundane and the macabre, such as the half-dead mouse or the violence of war. This detachment is not born of indifference but of a deep understanding of the cyclical nature of existence and the futility of human endeavors. The poem also introduces various female figures, each with distinct characteristics, whose eyes and actions the wizard has deciphered, revealing the ultimate reasons behind their behaviors. This suggests a profound empathy and insight into human nature, further emphasizing the wizard's role as a sage and a seer.

The poem concludes with a reflection on existence and the search for meaning. The wizard, described as an elusive and mocking figure, is always present where doubt meets truth, solving enigmas for the speaker. The final image of the wizard dissolving into the air like a new Ariel, a reference to Shakespeare's "The Tempest," underscores his ethereal and timeless nature. This tribute to the wizard is not just a celebration of his wisdom but also a meditation on the human condition, the search for meaning, and the acceptance of life's inherent mysteries.