Archive for 'Literature'
Piauí Magazine Posted by Rachel on Jul 19, 2012
Brazil has a huge publishing industry, even in this day and age when more and more publications are going out of business or going digital. Revista Piauí is one of Brazil’s finest publications with first-class journalism; some compare it to the New Yorker. That said, it’s difficult reading. If you can get through a Piauí…
Cordel Literature Posted by Rachel on Jan 25, 2012
Cordels are an important Brazilian cultural form that come from the Northeast. A cordel is a string, and these poems, songs, or novels get their name from the way they are hung on a string at street fairs. They are typically printed in black and white with woodcut-style illustrations. While this folk literature comes from…
Conto de Fadas Posted by Rachel on Aug 4, 2011
In Portuguese, a fairy tale is a called a conto de fadas. Today we’re going to read some short versions of popular fairy tales that you’re probably familiar with – but in Portuguese! A Pequena Sereia Muito longe da terra, onde o mar é muito azul, vivia o povo do mar. O rei desse povo…
Fernando Pessoa Posted by Rachel on Jun 14, 2011
In honor of what would be his 123rd birthday, today we’re going to learn about Fernando António Nogueira de Seabra Pessoa (1888 – 1935) , known as Fernando Pessoa. Recognized as one of the greatest poets of the Portuguese language, Pessoa is from Portugal, but his works are widely popular in Brazil, and you’ll find…
Desejo a vocês Posted by Rachel on Apr 8, 2011
Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) is one of Brazil’s most celebrated modern poets. We’ve read a bit of his work before, but today, we’re going to look at one of his untitled poems and learn some vocabulary. It’s simple and straight forward, and it’s also emblematic of Brazilian culture. Desejo a vocês Fruto do mato…
Fables in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Mar 27, 2011
Fábulas, or fables, are a helpful way to learn vocabulary in Portuguese. Let’s take a look at three fables and pick out some helpful vocabulary words. O Cachorro e Sua Sombra Um cachorro, que carregava na boca um pedaço de carne, ao cruzar uma ponte sobre um riacho, vê sua imagem refletida na água. Diante…
Canção do exílio Posted by Rachel on Feb 11, 2011
Since we’ve been discussing expats and poetry this week, I thought we could take a look at another poem, one of the most beautiful in Brazilian literature. Thanks for the suggestion from one of our users, who posted the poem on the Portuguese Blog Facebook page. “Exile Song” is one of Brazil’s most famous poems…