A voz do sertão: as variações linguísticas como instrumento de identidade e resistência na obra de Patativa do Assaré

Abstract

This study analyzes linguistic variation in the work of the poet Patativa do Assaré, with a focus on the cordel literary genre. Grounded in the principles of Sociolinguistics and studies on textual genres, the research investigates how diatopic (regional), diastratic (social), and diaphasic (stylistic) variations are expressed in Patativa’s poetry. Through the analysis of the poems O Meu Livro, Doutor Raiz, A Triste Partida, Cante Lá, Que Eu Canto Cá, and ABC do Nordeste Flagelado, the study demonstrates that the use of orality and regional vocabulary goes beyond a mere stylistic device, constituting a political stance of cultural resistance and affirmation of Northeastern Brazilian identity. Patativa do Assaré elevates popular speech to the status of art, challenging linguistic prejudice and legitimizing the knowledge, struggles, and lived experiences of rural people within the literary sphere.