To (re-)read “vozes-mulheres”: Conceição Evaristo and the dialectics of ancestrality

Abstract

This paper intends to develop an interpretation for “Vozes-mulheres”, one of the most well-known poems by Conceição Evaristo, originally published in the book Poemas da recordação e outros movimentos. Through an in-depth reading that considers also rhetorical, formal and rhythmic elements of the composition, the paper intends to address how the poem presents a complex dialectic process, carried out exclusively by female figures – namely: the great-grandmother, the grandmother, the mother, the poetic speaker herself and the daughter –, along which they reach the determination of their own freedom. Therefore, the paper aims to present not only an innovative reading to “Vozes-mulheres”, but also to contribute in a relevant way to the critical studies on the  poetical works by Conceição Evaristo, that have attracted less attention from researchers than her prose works.