Introduction to Italian Poetry: A Dual-Language Book

by Luciano Rebay (editor)

This anthology highlights seven centuries of Italian poetry that will help you learn the language as well. Included are 34 examples of Italian verse in the original with English translations on facing pages. Twenty-one poets are represented, from Saint Francis of Assisi, author of the first memorable Italian lyric, "Cancio delle creature," to Salvatore Quasimodo, winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize for Literature. Also included are works by Dante, Petrarch, Ariosto, Tasso, and Montale, as well as such lesser known but significant poets as Compiuta Donzella and Cavalcanti. There are even important works by Boccaccio and Michelangelo.In addition to full Italian texts with expert literal translations on facing pages, this edition contains a wealth of biographical and critical commentary.

Genres: Poetry, Italian Literature, Italy, Anthologies, Literature

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Mary Soon Lee]

This is a short anthology of Italian poetry spanning seven centuries, from St. Francis of Assisi to twentieth-century poets. Luciano Rebay presents the Italian originals alongside his English translations, accompanied by details about each poet. I had heard of many of these poets -- though sometimes, as with St. Francis and Michelangelo -- not for their poetry. But I don't think I'd ever read them. This book is indeed a wonderful introduction.

I know just enough Italian that I could understand part of the originals by myself, and could unravel the rest by referring to the translations, but not enough that this was easy for me! As such, I read this in fits and starts over three and a half months.

It is a measure of the book's success that I have now purchased a dual-language copy of Dante's Inferno. I had never suspected I might actually enjoy Dante, but the extract from the Inferno was among my favorites in the book. But I suspect it will take me a long while to progress from owning the Inferno to finishing reading it.

N.B. My copy of "Introduction to Italian Poetry" was very kindly given to me by Brittany Hause, poet, linguist, and translator.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. In the case of poetry books, for various reasons, I often omit an overall star rating.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about a topic I knew very little about. I am studying most things Italian this year and what a great jumping off point this is. I really like trying to understand what the poem was saying in Italian then seeing how much I understood in the english translation.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often read a lot of non fiction, but I somehow found myself super interested in the short biographies about each poet. This was a quick read, and I really enjoyed the fact that it was in chronological order so I was able to travel throughout Italian history.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have appreciated more selections from each poet.

[Cai]

Very good.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely fun

[Zachary Littrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great survey of Italian poetry, with English translations readily available for some of the tougher and older poems (I was so happy when I started to get to the more contemporary poets and could make it through much more easily). From a poem revering God's creation by St. Francis of Assisi to some really painful post-WWII poems, it was fascinating watching the growth, influence, and attitudes of Italian poets.

Understandably, the vast majority are about love, and some of the poems were frankly yawn-inducing, but others were surprisingly bold statements, especially given their time frames. Some of my favorite poems/poets:

Franco Sacchetti's "Passando con pensier per un boschetto" -- Short, easy-to-read lines, with a simple story of maidens gathering flowers. But what I really love is the end, when the narrator is so transfixed watching the maidens play and then flee from the rainstorm "Chi'io non mi'avidi, e tutto mi bagnai" -- That I forgot myself and I got completely wet.

Giacomo Leopardi's "Le quiete dopo la tempesta" -- Such a beautiful description of the joy of rural life torn apart by the narrator's both bitter and appreciative admiration of how Nature can distract us from the pains of life.

Giuseppe Ungaretti -- I actually loved all of his poems. Short, terse lines with the perfect words chosen each time to make for sharp, meaningful imagery. "Veglia" makes for a horrific sight -- writing letters for Christmas in WWI trenches with his comrade's dead body nearby. While "Tu ti spezzasti" is a crystal clear slice of a poet's grief at the death of his young son, and a tearful celebration of how the child was just starting to explore the world.

This is a solid primer for Italian poetry. If I had any complaints, I would have liked to have seen more than just one female poet, just for a little more variety. But otherwise this was a sufficiently rich exploration of the co-evolution of Italy and her poets.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, very high-level survey of Italian poetry over the last 800 or so years, through examples from 34 notable Italian poets. Each poet receives an introduction and a small sample of their work, with the original Italian presented side-by-side with the parallel English translation. The introductions are surprisingly well-written and informative. The examples generally range from one to a few pages of the poet's most notable work. It is clear from the text that the author/editor is very familiar with these works, and the examples appear to be well chosen. It is amazing to me, and a testament to the influence and longevity of the Florentine dialect, that the language from the 12th Century works has remained virtually unchanged throughout almost a millennium, and is just as readable as the Italian of today.

[Matthew Dambro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little book of Italian poetry from the 12th Century to the present. The poetry is beautiful and it allows one to see how little standard Italian has changed over the centuries.