Kaylee Eakes



Kaylee Eakes 
L'Infinito
Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837)

 Always dear to me was this lonely hill,
And this hedge, which from me so great a part           
sky night star atmosphere aurora ridge northern lightsOf the farthest horizon excludes the gaze.
But as I sit and watch, I invent in my mind                
endless spaces beyond, and superhuman
silences, and profoundest quiet;
wherefore my heart
almost loses itself in fear. And as I hear the wind
rustle through these plants, I compare
Public Domain
that infinite silence to this voice:
and I recall to mind eternity,
And the dead seasons, and the one present 
And alive, and the sound of it. So in this
Immensity my thinking drowns:
And to shipwreck is sweet for me in this sea.

http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~mdt26/poems/leopardi1.html
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giacomo-Leopardi#googDisableSync

 Image description: The northern lights in the photo symbolize the raw beauty of being alone with nature and taking in the marvelous views, yet they also represent fear on how strong the force of nature is and how lonely it can be. The lights show both the pain and beauty that can come from loneliness.

Biographical Information:
 1)  Leopardi was a congenitally deformed child: therefore, he was stuck inside most of his child hood and was given many tutors to help him through school. He took advantage of these tutors very quickly and mastered Greek, Latin, and many other languages at the age of sixteen.
 2) He was exceptionally well at translating multiple classical arts and he had written many tragedies, many Italian poems, and several scholarly commentaries.
 3) After years of hard work and dedication toward his studies he developed a cerebrospinal condition that affected his whole life. He was forced to stop studying due to his condition which then led him to share his emotions through poems.
 4) His frustrated love for his married cousin and the passing away of Terese Fattorini, which of whom was the youngest daughter of his fathers coachmen who he became particularly fond of nearly stripped him of all his happiness and optimism he had in life.
 5) "A Silva" was one of his most famous poems during his career, and this was so because he poured out all of his pain he had experienced into that poem which made it so great.

Analyzing: The poems emotions shared are what truly makes the poem. They allow us to really feel like we are the person Giacomo is describing. The identity of the speaker is really true to the poem as well, and by that I mean that is represents Giacomo, but it also resembles emotions people all around the world feel everyday. For example in his poem, ¨L´Infinito¨ I invent in my mind endless spaces beyond, and superhuman silences, and profoundest quiet...¨ This shows how at times it is just good to relax and sit back in peaceful quietness and just breathe. This represents his identity because in his lifetime full of pain and hurt he was able to sit back and breathe so he could escape and make the best of his life. The figurative language in the poem goes into depth and gives the readers a better understanding of how what the author is seeing and how it is portrayed. Also it gives up a rich in depth description of his emotion such as, ¨Always dear to me was this lonely hill...¨ This quotes gives a great example of figurative language along with how the author feels about loneliness and what he loves. Personally I view the main point of the figurative language is to allow the author to express his pain in ways that the reader will feel moved and really understand.  The tone of the poem is that the author feels that reflection of ones self helps to ease the mind. The tone is peacefulness within the author himself that is expressed through the lonely mountain that makes him feel happy and at home. The author shows his happiness when he is lonely through describing the, "...infinite silence to this voice:
and I recall to mind eternity..." This shows where the author is at peace the most, and that is when he is reflecting in silence on his own self. The main theme statement in the poem is that reflecting on one's self provides lessons for the past and the future that can bring a great path of success.

Comments

  1. Mrs. Del DottoFebruary 10, 2019 at 2:14 PM

    (Here's Kate Humphreys' comment. . .)This lonely hill is very important to the author because he is able to relate to it on a spiritual level. Being alone with the beautiful hill and nature is a good thing and includes positive aspects. It is not always a bad thing to be alone. Being alone allows peace, self evaluation, and an intake and appreciation of the world and beauty which surrounds you. This silence allows this intake and apriciation of the "hill...sea...plants...wind". These "dead seasons" turn alive with the awe of nature; it's flowing rivers, the wind blowing, and the world's beauty. This poem allows and encourages us to imagine what the author is feeling and experiencing. It allows us to do this with the vivid details and descriptions. It is almost as I am right there with the author, Giacomo Leopardi, experiencing the awe of nature and being alone with the mountain and with great appriciaion.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 12, 2019 at 3:27 PM

    The poet mentions at the start of the poem his admiration of the hill, and other aspects of nature. The beautiful scenes were brief. The poet goes on to say how if you really spend time thinking and looking deeper into what seems like happiness, you will find uncertainty and fear. They could be comparing the wind rustling through the plants to hidden issues within their life. The plants could be symbolizing their advantages and benefits, while the wind could show their deep rooted emotions. At the end of the poem, the poet finds themselves blocked from thought. The shipwreck could be symbolizing their efforts to mask their pain.

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