Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy (Italian Poetry in Translation Book 2)

CAMPANIA

In order to understand fully the reasons

leading to Neapolitan poetry of the

Twentieth century, one must read very

carefully the introductory essay by Alberto

Consiglio, “Spiriti e forme della poesia

napoletana” [Spirit and Forms of Neapolitan

Poetry], in the now classical Antologia dei

poeti napoletani.^1

Consiglio goes far beyond the task at

hand, and investigates the historical and

social reasons in order to connect them to

the phenomenon, especially in the results

and nuances of certain expressive twists

attained by means that might seem

improbable to a reader unfamiliar with the

history of Naples. The path followed by

Consiglio may seem even impervious, due to