Introduction

Ungaretti, Giuseppe 1888–1970

An Italian poet, translator, and critic, Ungaretti is one of the major poets of the twentieth century. Considered by many to be the father of modern Italian poetry, he adapted the conventions of French blank verse to the Italian lyric. A concise craftsman, he concentrated on the power of the individual word, freeing his poetry of florid rhetoric. His work is often concerned with the spiritual quest of humanity, conveyed in a dreamlike, impressionistic manner with very personal imagery. (See also CLC, Vols. 7, 11, and Contemporary Authors, Vols. 19-20; obituary, Vols. 25-28, rev. ed.; Contemporary Authors Permanent Series, Vol. 2.)

Source: Contemporary Literary Criticism, ©1980 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.