Carlos Drummond de Andrade

The Word ~ A Poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

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Beyond the Dictionary: Decoding the Inexpressible in Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s “The Word”

We spend our lives drowning in data and endless scrolls of text, yet how often do we feel truly understood? Carlos Drummond de Andrade suggests that our greatest connection lies not in the words we use, but in the one “perfect” word we have yet to find.

The Word

Carlos Drummond de Andrade

I no longer want to consult
dictionaries in vain.
I only want the word
that will never be there
and that can’t be invented.

One that would resume
and replace the world.

More sun than the sun,
in which we all could
live in communion,
mute,
savouring it.

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Reflection

In “The Word,” Carlos Drummond de Andrade captures a profound yearning for a singular, transcendent truth that eludes formal language. He rejects the “vanity” of dictionaries, signaling a frustration with how modern communication often dilutes meaning rather than deepening it. In our contemporary society—defined by constant digital noise and performative dialogue—the poem acts as a critique of our linguistic excess. We use more words than ever, yet we remain increasingly disconnected. Andrade’s “word” isn’t a literal term but a state of being: a “communion” where silence carries more weight than the loudest broadcast.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

In a world obsessed with constant status updates and “having the last word,” what would happen if we stopped trying to define our lives and instead waited for a truth that required no explanation at all?

Word ~ A Poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

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Searching for the Word Beyond All Words

What if a single word could replace the world—holding sun, communion, and silence within it?

Word

Carlos Drumond de Andrade

I no longer want to consult
dictionaries in vain.
I only want the word
that will never be there
and that can’t be invented.

One that would resume
and replace the world.

More sun than the sun,
in which we all could
live in communion,
mute,
savoring it.

Source

Reflection:

Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s poem Word speaks of a longing we all share: the desire to capture the essence of existence in something unutterable, pure, and whole. Dictionaries give us endless definitions, yet none satisfy the heart’s hunger for ultimate truth. The poet envisions a word so luminous it surpasses the sun, a word that unites us not in chatter but in silence, where communion is deeper than speech. It is a reminder that language, for all its beauty, can only point to the ineffable. Perhaps the truest connections we experience are not spoken but felt—moments of shared presence, where words fall away and only being remains.

Questions for Deeper Engagement:

  1. What word in your life has carried meaning far beyond its dictionary definition?
  2. How might silence sometimes speak more powerfully than words?
  3. If such a perfect word existed, what longing in your soul would it fulfill?

Today’s Poem: Truth by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

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Truth

Carlos Drummond de Andrade

The door of truth was open,
but only let pass
half of a person each time.
Thus, it was impossible to reach the whole truth,
for the half of a person who passed by
brought only the profile of half truth
and their own second half.
Carrying half profiles when leaving,
and the half profiles, did not match the truth.
They broke the door.
They knocked down the door.
Arrived at the bright place
where the truth sparkled its fires.
It was divided in halves,
two different parts.
There was a question, which one
was the prettiest.
None of the two was really beautiful
and it was necessary to choose.
And choices were made according their whims,
their illusions,
their myopia.

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