‘Doing mathematics and writing poetry have things in common’, says Paulo Britto

24/09/2024

The importance of reading was one of the topics discussed by poet and professor Paulo Britto in a chat at IMPA Tech on Tuesday (24). Based on his work “Oficina de criação poética”, Britto led a conversation about literature, linguistics and translation. The invitation was made by Professor Cilene Rodrigues, as part of the activities of the subject “Construction of Textual Narratives”.

“Collective work is very important, there are people who add up and that’s what I found in colleagues like Paulo Britto. A great professional who makes a mark on the academy and on our daily lives. I tried to bring Paulo here because, in fact, he is a person who enriches our collection. Enjoy the moment,” said the professor at the opening of the talk.

The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa had part of his work analyzed by Britto during the chat. The main discussion revolved around the texts of the writer’s heteronym Ricardo Reis. The analysis involved rhyme composition, rhythm, structure and even the arrangement of consonants in the verses.

“It took me twenty years to understand this poem. I’ve been reading this text since I was 15 years old and I’m still discovering things about it,” Britto shared.

The emphasis on the structure of the poems goes hand in hand with a personal and working principle that takes the analysis of texts far beyond semantics. “The idea is to completely examine a text and find similarities and differences. You have to read the poem carefully. Sometimes the text is good and the rhythm may be the only thing that interests you, for example. The poem is a mixture of sounds, rhythms, repetitions, working on various levels.”]

The relationship between poetry and mathematics was also a topic of conversation. “Doing mathematics and writing poetry have things in common,” he said. For him, ‘synthesis’ is an interesting meeting point between the areas, useful in solving mathematical problems and in conveying ideas through poetry.

“Mathematicians often comment on deduction, that is, the simplest is the most beautiful. Poetry has this in synthesis, which is one of the souls of poetry. I think it’s all connected. Concision is very important, the most beautiful, most elegant proof is one that involves fewer symbols, fewer lines. And lyric poetry, for example, excels in concision. You manipulate a series of basic elements, in terms of sound and meaning, and when you manage to do something very good with a minimum of elements, that has extraordinary value.”

Lucia Soares, 19, a student at IMPA Tech, attended the talk and came away with a new perspective on poetry. “I found the class very interesting. It was completely different from what I expected. We had a vision that, at least for me, was new. An insight into how poetry is made and organized. We know that the verses are metrical, what we learned at school, but here we had a vision that poetry is not just what we see, what is written. It’s not just a small part, it’s something much bigger and involves a lot of things. The class was incredible, I really enjoyed it.”

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Britto has had a varied academic background, from mathematics to cinema, and finally linguistics. Today, he teaches English and Portuguese at PUC-Rio.

His career as a poet began in 1980 with the text “Liturgia da matéria”. Among his most prestigious works is “Macau”, published in 2003. The book won the Portugal Telecom prize for Brazilian literature in 2004.

Also a translator since 1971, Britto shared his experiences of a craft that has already translated 120 books. Among them, many by renowned authors such as Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson and Charles Dickens. The poet said that “background” is important. “I want to read the poems with all my background. It’s important to be open to the new, but not to throw away what you’ve already built,” he said.

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