José Dantas Motta
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José Dantas Motta (Carvalhos, March 22, 1913 – Rio de Janeiro, February 9, 1974), born José Franklin Massena de Dantas Motta, was a Southern Minas Gerais writer who wrote in poetry and prose. He practiced law and was a friend of great Brazilian writers, such as Carlos Drummond de Andrade.[1][2]
Biography[edit]
José Dantas Motta was born in the then Carvalhos District (now Carvalhos, Minas Gerais), at the time belonging to Aiuruoca, son of Lourenço Motta and Ana Dantas Motta, descended from one of the inconfidentes of Minas Gerais.
He began his studies in his homeland, later taking the Humanities course at the Sul Mineiro Gymnasium (Itanhandu) and graduated in law from UFMG. He kept correspondence with the poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade and developed a sui generis poetry.
Death[edit]
He died in Rio de Janeiro on February 9, 1974, being buried in the Cemetery of his home town, Aiuruoca.
Literary style[edit]
Reader of the Bible and writer of the judicial lides, he developed with these influences a sui generis poetry that sometimes has a ceremonial and prophetic tone, but founding in grain in the soil of Minas Gerais. There is also in his poetry a mixture of hillbilly and archaic language, as can be seen in verses from the poem "Solar de Juca Dantas":
"The night with its lanterns and its thieves, earthquakes and rogues."
José Dantas Motta is a unique author, not being similar to what he wrote before or after. Apparently, he didn't follow any other poets, nor did he leave followers.
Carlos Drummond de Andrade[edit]
For Drummond his "most characteristic verse" is that of the "Elegias do País das Gerais" (1961), also considered by Alfredo Bosi the best book in The Valley of Aiuruoca.[2]
"His poetry always gave me an idea of loneliness,"
Drummond says. In fact, it is a feeling of solitude and dismay that precedes the gaze of José Dantas Motta to the things of the interior of Minas Gerais, or even to the people of other cities, such as São Paulo and the capital of Minas Gerais. To the disconsolate is added the revolt before the uncertain of the world. Drummond says José Dantas Motta's books...
"...break all commitments with the rhythmic word to just drop the resounding and definitive swear word. They're books that spew an outburst of revolt."
Carlos Drummond de Andrade stated that talking to Dantas Motta gave him:
"the feeling of talking to someone who, under the appearance of Dantas, was called Minas Gerais. It was Minas talking to me, with his special speech, his straw cigarette. Its irony and sweetness mixed. Not this conventional, submissive, concordant, cautious mines... But Minas open, reviewer, contestatory, which does not conform to the sameness of the established principles and exposes to examination names, situations, ideas, with indefatigable critical spirit."
Other works[edit]
Published works[edit]
José Dantas Motta published other works such as:
- Anjo de Capote, 1953
- Epístola de São Francisco, 1955
- Primeira Epistle de Joaquim José da Silva Xavier - o Tiradentes - aos Ladrões Ricos, 1967
Unpublished works[edit]
- O umbrella do padre, poetry
- Epístola de Aleijadinho aos Artistas Livres, work only started, in poetry
- Bruxo, short story
- The last civil, short story
- Itinerary of the deceased Arthêmio de Freitas, short story
As well as poems, articles, essays and reviews in newspapers in Brazil.
References[edit]
- ↑ "NA ENCRUZILHADA DA POESIA". Recanto das Letras (in português). Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "poesia.net 264 - Dantas Mota". www.algumapoesia.com.br. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
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