The concrete life of poetry: The Noigandres Group between law school and literary theory

Abstract

This article aims to examine the trajectory of concrete poetry within the intellectual debates in São Paulo from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. First, it explores how the three poets of Noigandres transitioned from their origins in law school to literary supplements, influenced by the renewal of literary criticism and the shifting criteria of interpretation introduced by new cultural and academic institutions in São Paulo’s intellectual scene. Next, it examines their engagement with academic and university debates of the period, which shaped the way concrete poets developed their theory and artistic innovations. Finally, the article concludes by analyzing the trajectories of the three poets as they navigate traditional and modernizing elements in response to a changing cultural landscape.

Sociology of culture; Brazilian poetry; Concrete poetry; Noigandres; São Paulo