ALENCAR

O Guarani 7.8 · 7.8

A poetry that fills the soul

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Essas grandes sombras das árvores que se estendem pela planície; essas gradações infinitas da luz pelas quebradas da montanha; esses raios perdidos, que, esvazando-se pelo rendado da folhagem, vão brincar um momento sobre a areia; tudo respira uma poesia imensa que enche a alma.

Those great tree-shadows stretching over the plain; those infinite gradations of light down the ravines of the mountain; those lost rays that, seeping through the lacework of the foliage, go to play a moment on the sand — all breathes an immense poetry that fills the soul.

Word by word

EssasE-sashThosegrandesGRAN-deshgreatsombrasSON-brashshadowsdasdashof theárvoresAR-vo-reshtreesquekewhichsese(themselves)estendemesh-TEN-dengstretchpelaPE-laover theplaníciepla-NEE-syeplain;essasE-sashthosegradaçõesgra-da-SOYNSHgradationsinfinitaseen-fee-NEE-tashinfinitedadaof theluzlooshlightpelasPE-lashdown thequebradaske-BRA-dashravinesdadaof themontanhamon-TA-nyamountain;essesE-seshthoseraiosHA-yushraysperdidosper-DEE-dushlost,quekewhich,esvazando-seezh-va-ZAN-du-seseepingpeloPE-luthrough therendadohen-DA-dulaceworkdadaof thefolhagemfo-LYA-zhengfoliage,vãovownggobrincarbreen-KARto playumoongamomentomo-MEN-tumomentsobreSO-breonaatheareiaa-RAY-asand;tudoTU-dueverythingrespirahesh-PEE-rabreathesumaOO-maanpoesiapwe-ZEE-apoetryimensaee-MEN-saimmensequekewhichencheEN-shefillsaathealmaAL-masoul.

The setting

Those great tree-shadows stretching over the plain; those infinite gradations of light down the ravines of the mountain; those lost rays that, seeping through the lacework of the foliage, go to play a moment on the sand — all breathes an immense poetry that fills the soul.

A note on this passage

A single long sentence in three beats, ending on the soul — Alencar's Romantic credo: the wild land is not empty but full of poetry, a spiritual presence. This is the aesthetic manifesto at the heart of the book.

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