A SEA OF MEANING IN THE SEA OF CAPE VERDEAN LITERATURE

Abstract

This article aims to objectify the multiple meanings that the sea shapes in Cape Verdean literature. To achieve this, a literary analysis of textual excerpts, in prose and lyrical, from Cape Verdean authors, especially modernists, is carried out. Drawing on works by authors such as Baltasar Lopes, Manuel Lopes, Jorge Barbosa, and Teixeira de Sousa, as well as others from generations of the Suplemento Cultural and  Novíssimos, the study examines the diverse significances the sea assumes in Cape Verdean literature and culture.  The empirical analysis points out that this lexical item symbolizes livelihood, pathway, subtraction, escape, confidant, identity, return, life, tragedy and more. Where relevant, analogies are made with other literatures, both universal and culturally related, to enrich the discussion. Additionally, through an interdisciplinary approach, occasional references are made to music and other areas of human and Cape Verdean activity, such as gastronomy, music, and folklorism, to illustrate how this lexical item permeates Cape Verdean culture. Thus, based on the analyses, on the one hand, the study corroborates the thesis proposed by Portuguese essayist Alfredo Margarido (1980), asserting that Cape Verdean literature and culture are fundamentally maritime. On the other hand, it highlights a selection of poetic texts by other authors, suggesting the need for future research to determine whether these meanings continue to evolve.