Memory construction in the poet Antonio Gonçalves Dias’ autobiographic narratives

Abstract

This work seeks to reflect on the identity construction of the poet Antonio Gonçalves Dias as one of the icons of Brazilian literature, understanding that his appearance in our literary pantheon was the result of his effort in the elaboration of a memory that linked him directly to a national memory, which was later consolidated by its critics and biographers. Regarding the autobiographical records left by Gonçalves Dias, we will focus on some of his letters, written at different moments in his life, and on an autobiographical note, written in 1854, which, although it seems unfinished and lacking, is quite emblematic due to the peculiar way in which the poet chooses to relate his birth to the “birth” of the country.