The artistic universe of the circus takes part in our imaginary and is still a source of inspiration for artists and poets in the world. In this thesis we map out the way circus arts were introduced in our country from its origins till the middle of the twentieth century, in order to place it in a historical context. This may allow us to investigate in which moment this theme gets in the life as well as in the poetry of Carlos Drummond de Andrade as an important questioning. Drummond is one of the most outstanding poets in the Brazilian literature of the twentieth century by his vast and expressive work within a variety of themes. Through a set of images we may observe how he exploits and manipulates the contents of a popular tradition, bringing up to the reader an odd and familiar circus at the same time. Drummond's childhood was marked by a period in which the circus played the role of a vehicle of entertainment and culture to Brazilian people. By showing his impressions of the circusring, Drummond reveals us a glimpse of its secrets, which enriches our literary patrimony. Preserving the social memory of Brazilian circus seems to be one of Drummond's wishes by raising this art to the same level of the great themes in his poetry.