In this article, I reflect on Antonio Candido’s literary analysis in the chapter “Carrossel” from his book “Na Sala de Aula”, where he reveals how a poem’s structure, rhythm, and semantics can express complex artistic ideas beyond its subject matter. He chooses a poem by Manuel Bandeira, from “Estrela da Manhã”, published in 1936, and titled “Rondo do Jockey Club.”
After a brief explanation of the context in which the poem was created, followed by a discussion of the concept and origin of the “rondó” genre and its modern derivation, the author begins his analysis by confirming the genre chosen by the poet, recognizing its structure and easily identifying other elements such as punctuation, rhythm, grammatical category, and stanzaic organization.
For Candido, punctuation defines the rhythm, which becomes evident in the refrain when the word “horse” shifts from subject in the first line to appositive in the second. At the same time, external material elements allow for a better semantic understanding. Still within the semantic field, the author develops a mathematical formula to sharpen the reader’s perception. By equating men and horses, the poet also elicits contrast. This feature recurs in every stanza, whether through the homogeneity of the rhymes, duality of sounds, semantic content, or even the lack of connection between the refrain and each couplet.
Thus, Antonio Candido concludes that more than in its theme, this poem relies on the system that enables the construction of its structures, rhymes, and punctuation—elements that both confront and equate irony with pathos, and the clarity of daylight with the darkness of the soul, making repetition and opposition in this rondó truly unique.