Fixity and Fluidity in “Retrato de Família”, By Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Abstract

The poem “Family portrait”, by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, expresses philosophical approaches on how everything is in motion in the universe, also reflecting about a range of problems related to photography and memory. The observer of the portrait is aware of the fluidity of all things in contrast to the supposed image’s fixity as it was captured by the camera, so that this causes him a strong discomfort. This is the poem’s subject. This article analyzes the text closely, correlating it with classical reflections of thinkers who approached themes that Andrade takes up and summarizes in his poetic piece.