Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli (; 31 December 1855 – 6 April 1912) was an Italian
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
, classical
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...
and an emblematic figure of Italian literature in the late nineteenth century. Alongside
Gabriele D'Annunzio, he was one of the greatest Italian
decadent
The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of ...
poets.
Biography
Giovanni Pascoli was born at
San Mauro di Romagna (renamed "San Mauro Pascoli" in his honor in 1932), into a well-to-do family. He was the fourth of ten children of Ruggero Pascoli and Caterina Vincenzi Alloccatelli. His father was administrator of an estate of farm land of the
Princes Torlonia on which the Pascoli family lived.
On the evening of 10 August 1867 as Ruggero Pascoli was returning home from the market at
Cesena in a carriage drawn by a black and white mare (''cavalla storna''), he was shot and killed by an assassin hiding in a ditch by the road. The mare continued slowly on her way and brought home the body of her slain master. The murderer was never apprehended.
Giovanni Pascoli had a tragic childhood, struck by the murder of his father and the early deaths of his mother, sister and two brothers, and the subsequent financial decline of the family. The father's assassination echoes in particular in one of his most popular poems, "''
La cavalla storna''". His whole first work, ''Myricae'' (1891), reflects his unhappy childhood.
In 1871 he moved to
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
with six of his brothers. Here he made friends with
Andrea Costa
Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew.
Origin of the name
The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that r ...
, and began to participate in
Socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
demonstrations. This led to another key event in Pascoli's life, his brief imprisonment in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
following a protest against the capture of the anarchist
Giovanni Passannante, who attempted to kill
Humbert I. Pascoli composed an ''Ode to Passannante'', which he tore up soon after reading it during a socialist gathering in Bologna.
Pascoli studied at the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continu ...
, where his teacher and mentor was
Giosuè Carducci. He graduated in 1882, and began to teach in high schools in
Matera and
Massa. He lived next to his sisters Ida and
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, in an attempt to renew the original family, building a "nest" (as he called it) for the sisters and himself. Although he was almost married, it is speculated that he never did because of an immature and perhaps ambiguous relationship with his sisters.
In the same year, Pascoli dedicated a literary work to the memory of
Giuseppe Garibaldi, a leading figure of the
Italian Risorgimento movement, as well as to Carducci, his beloved teacher and close friend.
In the meantime he began to collaborate with the magazine ''Vita nuova'', which published his first poems later collected in ''Myricae''. In 1894 Pascoli was called to Rome to work for the Ministry of Public Instruction, and there he published the first version of ''Poemi conviviali''. Later he moved between cities living in Bologna,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
and
Messina, but remained always psychologically rooted to his original, idealized peasant origins.
In 1895 he and his sister Maria moved into a house at Castelvecchio, near
Barga, in
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
, bought with money gained from literary awards. The political and social turmoil of the early 20th century, which was to lead to Italy's participation in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and to the advent of
Fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
, further strengthened Pascoli's insecurity and pessimism.
From 1897 to 1903 he taught Latin at the
University of Messina, and then in
Pisa. When Carducci retired, Pascoli replaced him as professor of
Italian literature
Italian literature is written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian, including ...
at the University of Bologna. In 1912, already ill of
cirrhosis
Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue rep ...
(from alcohol abuse), Giovanni Pascoli died of
liver cancer at the age of 56 in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
. An atheist, he was entombed in the chapel annexed to
his house at
Castelvecchio, where his beloved sister,
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, would also be laid to rest.
Poetics
Although he was not an active participant in any literary movement of the time, nor showed any particular propensity towards contemporary European poetry (as opposed to D'Annunzio), he manifests in his works mainly spiritualistic and idealistic tendencies, typical of late nineteenth century culture marked by the progressive exhaustion of
Positivism.
Overall his work appears to be followed by a constant tension between the old classicist tradition inherited from his teacher
Giosuè Carducci, and the new themes of
decadentism
The Decadent movement (Fr. ''décadence'', “decay”) was a late-19th-century artistic and literary movement, centered in Western Europe, that followed an aesthetic ideology of excess and artificiality.
The Decadent movement first flourished ...
.
His poems center on domestic life and nature. However, even in that period of
Positivism and
scientism, Pascoli believed that life is a mystery; only symbolic associations discovered in the humble things of nature can lead man to catch a glimpse of the truth behind mere appearances. A core aspect of Pascoli's poetry at this time was his imagistic focus on small things ("piccole cose"). Pascoli abandoned the previous era's grandiose language and rhetoric, including that of his mentor Giosuè Carducci, for poetry that was simple and inspired by day-to-day life and objects. The title of his first collection ‘Myricae’ draws attention to this approach; it is widely regarded as a reference to Virgil's ‘humilesque myricae’, i.e. humble tamarisks. “Orchards and humble tamarisks don’t please everyone" from Eclogues, IV. The Golden Age, Virgil.
Pascoli's later poems share similar themes but are more experimental, and reflect his knowledge of
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. They were a great influence on later Italian poets, who incorporated his melancholy themes into their own works. He wrote in both
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
; he also translated
English poetry. His numerous poems in Latin gained many international awards.
In 1897 Pascoli issued a detailed definition of his poetical stance, which he called ''poetica del fanciullino'' ("poetics of the child") and which showed the influence of Sully and von Hartmann. Poetry, according to Pascoli, would be the unceasing capability to get stunned by the world, typical of childhood, secondarily connected to the expressive capabilities of the aged. In a refusal of both
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthet ...
and
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
, Pascoli opposed both the renunciation of self-analysis and the abandonment of the self-centered point of view, in favour of a semi-irrational comfort which the poet gives himself through poetry.
Pascoli's poetry shows interesting affinities with European symbolism, even if direct influences cannot be demonstrated. A wide use of
analogy and
synesthesia, a very subtle musicality, a lexicon open both to foreign languages and to
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
or
onomatopeic
Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...
voices are major signs of a literary research oriented towards modern poetical language.
The Nobel Laureate
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. first encountered Pascoli's work in 2001 on a visit to Urbino. Heaney later translated and reworked Pascoli's ‘L’aquilone’ (‘The Kite’) which was published in 2009. Heaney went on to publish his translation of ‘L’ultima passeggiata’ (The Last Walk) which was published after his death in 2013 in a limited edition.
Volumes of Pascoli's work in English include ''Last Voyage: Selected Poems of Giovanni Pascoli'', translated by Richard Jackson, Deborah Brown, and Susan Thomas (
Red Hen Press, 2010); ''Selected Poems of Giovanni Pascoli'', translated by
Taije Silverman and Marina Della Putta Johnston (
Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large.
The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financia ...
; 2019), and ''Last Dream'', translated by
Geoffrey Brock (World Poetry Books, 2019). The latter was awarded the 2020 Raiziss/de Palchi Book Prize from the
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outreach ...
.
Pascoli was also known as a prose essayist and for his
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian people, Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', origin ...
studies. According to the
Grand Orient of Italy, Pascoli was initiated in the Fremasonry by the Scottish Rite
Grand Master Giosuè Carducci.
Works
* ''Myricae'' (1891)
* ''Lyra romana'' (1895)
* ''Il fanciullino'' (1897)
* ''Pensieri sull'arte poetica'' (1897)
* ''Epos'' (1897)
* ''Poemetti'' (1897)
* ''Minerva oscura'' (1898)
* ''Intorno alla Minerva oscura'' (1899)
* ''Sotto il velame'' (1900)
* ''Sul limitare'' (1900)
* ''Fior da fiore'' (1901)
* ''La mirabile visione'' (1902)
* ''Canti di Castelvecchio'' (1903)
* ''Primi poemetti'' (1904)
* ''Poemi conviviali'' (1904), published in a dual-language edition, translated by Elena Borelli and James Ackhurst, entitle
''Convivial Poems''(Italica Press, 2022)
* ''Odi e inni'' (1906)
* ''Canti di Castelvecchio'' (Final edition, 1906)
* ''Pensieri e discorsi'' (1907)
* ''Canzoni di re Enzio'' (1909)
* ''Nuovi poemetti'' (1909)
* ''La grande proletaria si è mossa'' (1911)
* ''Poemi italici'' (1911)
* ''Poesie varie'' (1912)
* ''Poemi del Risorgimento'' (1913)
References
Further reading
*
* (in Italian).
* (in Italian).
* di Pino, Guido (1958). ''Le Grandi Voci''. Roma: Cremonese. pp. 760–776. (in Italian).
* Kay, George R., editor (1965). ''The Penguin Book of Italian Verse''. Baltimore: Penguin Books. pp. 322–335.
* (in Italian).
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pascoli, Giovanni
1855 births
1912 deaths
Italian socialists
Italian male poets
Deaths from liver cancer
People from the Province of Forlì-Cesena
Deaths from cancer in Emilia-Romagna
University of Bologna alumni
University of Bologna faculty
University of Messina faculty
Italian Freemasons
19th-century Italian poets
20th-century Italian poets
New Latin-language poets
19th-century Latin-language writers
20th-century Latin-language writers
19th-century Italian male writers
20th-century Italian male writers