Procura da Poesia

Carlos Drummond de Andrade's poem "Procura da Poesia" is a profound meditation on the nature of poetry and the role of the poet. The poem begins with a series of admonitions, advising against writing verses about events, personal experiences, or physical sensations. Drummond suggests that true poetry transcends the mundane aspects of life, such as birthdays, personal incidents, and even the physical body. He emphasizes that poetry should not be a mere reflection of one's emotions or thoughts, as these are not yet poetry in their raw form.

Drummond further explores the idea that poetry is not about the external world, whether it be the city, nature, or society. He argues that poetry should not be derived from the noise of machines, the secrets of houses, or the sounds of the sea. Instead, he posits that poetry exists in a realm beyond the tangible and the immediate. It is not about dramatizing or invoking, nor is it about lying or reminiscing about a melancholic past. The poet must penetrate the silent realm of words, where poems lie in wait, paralyzed but full of potential.

The poem culminates in a call to approach words with patience and reverence. Drummond advises poets to live with their poems before writing them, to accept their obscurity and provocation. He warns against forcing a poem into existence or picking up a lost poem from the ground. Instead, he encourages poets to accept poems as they are, allowing them to take their definitive form in their own time. Words, he suggests, have secret faces and ask the poet if they have brought the key to unlock their true meaning. In this way, Drummond elevates the act of writing poetry to a sacred and contemplative practice, where words transform and reveal their hidden depths in a river of difficult, yet rewarding, exploration.