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COPYRIGHT 2004 Modern Humanities Research Association
In form, Florbela Espanca's literary work is incongruously traditional, mostly composed of sonnets of standard Italian form which contrast with the thematic freedom expressed in their writing: a deliberate attempt perhaps by the poet ultimately to confine herself within familiar, formal boundaries through which, therefore, she is able to dominate both her poetry and its subject matter. It is precisely this thematic freedom, with particular emphasis on its expression of sexuality, which makes it possible to classify Florbela's work as being into three distinct phases.
The first, which includes 'Livro de Magoas' (1919), 'Livro D'ele' and 'Livro de Soror Saudade' (1923), exposes a passive attitude towards life, emphasizing the subject's interaction with the Other, both in the way she expresses herself and her attitude towards life and her latent sexuality. (1) Mainly because of the influence of Antonio Nobre's poetry, Florbela adopts a stance broadly characterized by a 'call for death'. (2)
The second phase is encapsulated in 'Charneca em Flor' (1931), undoubtedly the most revolutionary of the poet's works. It marks rebirth as only achievable through sexual awakening: God abandons the convent to take refuge in nature, and the poet becomes one with nature at times of total corporeal satisfaction. 'Charneca em Flor' also evinces a fundamental shift as regards the Other. The passive being yields to a vigorous, merciless predator, unwearyingly in pursuit of what it craves--pure sadomasochism that, at its best, objectifies men. Finally she accepts herself as a woman whilst paradoxically beginning to display the kind of sexual behaviour only attributed to men at the time, and no longer limits herself to being with the one for whom she may have a noble affection, her only aspiration being 'Amar so por amar--Aqui ... alem ... | Mais Este e Aquele, o Outro e toda a gente ...'. (3) However, it is precisely this dissociation between sex and affection that is to have ill-fated consequences both in regard to themes explored in her poetry and, tragically, the author's brief existence. Therefore, the last phase is entrenched in the most profound disillusionment, not only with her own self, but also with others. In 'Reliquiae', (4) there is a prevailing sense of nostalgia and the impossibility of re-encountering the loved one, although an open invitation to him for her to become 'Dentro dele, nele, igual a Deus' ('Dentro de ti, em ti, igual a Deus!') remains. (5) It is memory, as opposed to body, that keeps physical touch alive. Her poetic trajectory is cyclic, as illustrated by the sonnet 'Ultimo sonho de "Soror Saudade'", in which the religious imagery re-emerges (p. 384). Finally, in the poem conceived just before committing suicide, Florbela elliptically confesses that one can only come alive as one is about to die, given that to live is to be in a permanent state of enchantment (p. 388). (6)
It is my aim to focus on Florbela's middle phase, with particular emphasis on the manifestation of sexuality embedded in 'Charneca em Flor', which was first published in 1831, the year of the author's death. This collection of poems represents the turning point in her literary work as, on the one hand, it contains the broader trajectory of her whole poetry whilst, on the other, it is a lively testimony of the most vibrant expression of sexuality. Colour is embedded in nature and the five senses are present through a use of language which is stylistically rich in order to emphasize the rebirth of the poet who, having rejected the social and psycho-sexual confinement to which she is subjected, decides to cast off the mantle of Soror Saudade and actively pursue life. As a result, she begins to explore her sexual being to its full potential, revealing in its utmost femininity the predator, a paradox between frailty and aggressiveness.
Thematically, these poems have a non-linear structure. Her selfperception as a singular being, heightened by the absorbing egocentrism that is her focal attribute as a poetic subject, is contradicted in 'Mendiga' (p. 315) and 'A minha piedade' (p. 338), poems in which her proneness to nihilism, as well as a less conventional type of masochism, are conveyed. She is perfectly aware of the risk her undertakings involve and, therefore, of how she is bound to hurt herself in following the path their pursuit entails. Be it in physical or psychological terms, the whole experience causes pain, yet it induces an odd sense of satisfaction, as it carries a real, palpable feeling, the absolute proof of being alive--paradoxically, masochism becomes the indisputable affirmation of life. Another important aspect is...
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