Luiz Gama: the irreverence of the Lira and the Marimba of an Orpheus of “Carapinha” in the Second Reign

Abstract

z Gonzaga Pinto da Gama, or rather, Luiz Gama (1830-1882), had a life marked by the hardships which had fallen upon the black Brazilian people throughout three centuries having the worsening factor of having been born free and around ten years of age being sold by his own father. The father’s doings were reversed due to Luiz’s being mutinous which not only did it make him get his freedom back, but also fight for the other black people to conquer it as well. His doings regarding the legal field were re­lated to Literature through the launching of “Primeiras trovas burlescas de Getulino” (1859), where are found poetry in which he probes slavery in the 19th century, appealing to corrosive irreverence to show the negative traits of the coffee producers elite. After a lasting and underserved oblivion, Gama became subject of interest for researchers who have been showing his compositions worth, value of which are pointed by analyses that relate his work to the afro-Brazilian literature, exemplifying. Concomitantly, it is a relevant work to study satire in Brazilian literature, a way of expression usually denied. Nonetheless, it used to be recurrent at the time in which the poet was living. For this reason, this paper has as a goal to contextualize the satirical poetry of Luiz Gama, taking in consideration the irreverent way of questioning the reality in which he was inserted. Hence, it will be used principles of theoretical literature in confrontation with historiography and sociology studies.