Italian poetry for English speakers
This website is my answer to the question: “If I were an English speaker trying to get an idea of how Italian poetry sounds, what tool would I like to have?”
Well, I would like first of all to hear the poems recited out loud. Then I’d like an easy way to go back and forth between English and Italian without opening a dictionary. Also useful: some context on the choice of vocabulary, and maybe a guide to the most salient technical aspects of the Italian language.
Please check the guide to see how all this is implemented.
There will be no literary criticism, for the most part, nor structured lessons in the history of Italian Literature besides some nuggets now and then. One can certainly find several resources that are better than whatever I could possibly write.
You may profit from some information about the Italian language. In any case, feel free to read up on the rationale and disclaimer.
These are the latest published poems (you can find the rest here):
- Apr 13, Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia, by (1830)
- Mar 2, Un’ape esser vorrei, by (1567)
- Feb 1, Alla sera, by (1803)
- Jan 18, Avvertimento a un giovane scrittore, by (1840±)
- Jan 1, Rinovazione del buon Capo d’Anno a D. Ciccio per l’ingresso del 1683, by (1683)