GEOGRAPHY AND POETRY

Revisiting the space and history of the old Curralinho through the steps of the poet Castro Alves

Abstract

In this work, we present an analysis carried out at the interface between the discursive fields of Literature and Geography, in the light of the literary production of the Bahian poet Castro Alves, born in the region of Bahia's recôncavo. We aim to examine some of his poetry to revisit the geographical space of the old village of Curralinho, located in the Recôncavo Bahia, currently the city of Castro Alves / BA, reflecting on how the poet, in 1870, described such space, as well as observing the spatial changes that occurred since then. For this purpose, we chose to use excerpts from three poems written at that time, confronting with current images captured from the place, apprehending and demonstrating the landscape in different spaces of time and reflecting on historical-spatial transformations that have occurred until today. Such transformations were evidenced with respect to environmental degradation processes illustrated in the devastation of the forests in the region; increase and accumulation of garbage resulting from population growth and consumerism, as well as other consequences of agricultural activity, today, prevalent in the region. The approach chosen here contributed to demonstrate a methodological possibility of investigating geographic phenomena based on an interdisciplinary study perspective, taking into account the potential for analysis existing in the Geography / Literature link. Therefore, the initiative of this work points to an additional path in the exploration of new theoretical and methodological approaches for teaching Geography at the fundamental, middle and higher levels.