“Good Morning, Poet, How Are You?” Peasant Poetry and Its Vitality in Sertão do Pajeú (Brazil)

Abstract

The present paper discusses the presence and vitality of peasant poetry as an expression of the peasant way of life in Sertão do Pajeú (Brazil), and it seeks to understand to what extent it can play an important role in the territory, such as agroecological organizations considering work from the concept of “coexistence with the semiarid” as a communication and popular education tool. We performed semi-structured interviews, participant observation and bibliographic and documentary research. In addition, we filled in a field journal and took photographic and audiovisual records. We understand peasant poetry as an expression of the popular culture of that territory, produced by peasant poets to interpret, communicate and reaffirm their way of life and their relationship with nature. Peasant poetry is part of the identity and is currently present in the collective memory of Sertão do Pajeú, and it has been guided by agroecological organizations and can become an instrument capable of enhancing the search for environmental sustainability in the territory.