The Representation of the Matuto in Popular Poetry

The colonization of Brazilian lands by the Portuguese Crown while populating other areas gave rise to new modes of social life. As a result of ethnic mixing these marginalized groups settled and created their own forms of culture and subsistence (Candido 2003). In northeastern Brazil the matuto is a reflection of this capitalist expansion. Thus this research delves into the poetic works of Jessier Quirino from Paraíba analyzing the poems in which the author uses the term matuto to designate the characters in his poems.