Conversamos entre as paredes: um estudo conjunto das obras poéticas de Cecília Meireles e Emily Dickinson sob o prisma da religião

Abstract

The poetic works of Cecília Meireles and Emily Dickinson are marked by the prominent presence of religion. The representations of God, the theological and metaphysical provocation, the constant glimpse of human finitude, of doubt about life after death, and the incisive dialogues with institutional religions are all crucial in the universe of poetic creation of both writers. Consequently, this topic also emerges in the literature about their works. This dissertation, as a result of my Master's research in Brazilian Literature, aims to analyze the poetry of Cecília Meireles and Emily Dickinson from the perspective of religion. To this end, I present justifications for the study of religion in the academic field, especially in the area of literature. I seek to define the object “religion” from three perspectives: etymological-philosophical, historical-scientific, and by the lens of literary studies. I use the formulations of Augustine and Cicero regarding the origin of the term “religion” (respectively, religare and relegere) to support my analysis of their poems. I also present a brief bibliographical review on the influence of religion in the life and the work of each of the poets. Finally, through the analysis of literary texts as primary material, I discuss the presence of different religious traditions and conflict in the relationship between human beings and God in a selection of poems by Cecília Meireles and Emily Dickinson.