Minério, Gisandra, Wasteland. Carlos de Oliveira e o Fim do Mundo

Abstract

The poetry of Carlos de Oliveira (1921-1981) describes burnt and dead landscapes. In a prose poem of Sobre o Lado Esquerdo (1968), the stars stop shining: “It’s the end of the world”, says the astrologer in the poem. On the other hand, in the poetic prose of Finisterra (1978), the land burns out in the hands of a family line of decadent landlords, while poor peasants go quietly on pilgrimage. This paper aims to question the relationship between the poems and the death of landscapes: how can a fictional work denounce this wasteland both natural and human?