Ou isto ou aquilo: a poesia (não tão) infantil de Cecília Meireles

In this paper, we propose a brief analysis of Ou Isto ou Aquilo, a 1964 children's poetry book by Cecilia Meireles. Based on the perception that the poems in this book possess a distinctive character, both aesthetically and thematically, the analysis focuses precisely on the work's unique aspects, regarding the approach to certain issues which are not customarily associated with the child's universe - such as solitude, death, longing, sorrow, angst and nostalgia. Our work aims to shun a common - and sometimes reductionist - vision of children's poetry, by seeing the ludic primarily as a tool that allows the poet to address denser themes in a way that is accessible to children, but without underestimating them. Likewise, based on the assumptions presented, we intend to demonstrate how the author allows not only children, but also to the adult readers, to get in contact with poetic profundity that is not restricted to the target audience. Thus, we expect that the presentation and the analysis of children's poems might, in a way, redeem the importance of Cecilia Meireles's children's poetic production