Paulo Leminski and the poetic expression of the “floodplain”

Abstract

This article analyses how Paulo Leminski forged a poetic expression of the “floodplain” for his poetry, aiming to make his creative work accessible for the ordinary public. The “floodplain” is a word used by the poet, and appears in his letters and poems. It is a reference to what is on the outside of erudite culture. We consider that the resources that promote communication with the horizontal reader, such as paronomasia and sound games, brevity and colloquiality, so present in Leminski’s diction, are part of what the poet conceived as poetic “floodplain”. To weave our analysis, we focus on poems, critical essays, and also on the epistles sent to his friend Bonvicino. The letters contain a theoretical-critical dialogue that sheds light on the understanding and direction that Leminski gave to his poetry.