Group 2

ITALIAN LITERATURE

MEMBERS:
Bassig Christian
Baltazar Jhastine Rhoy
Barayuga Artemis
Bayudan Kaye
Cabias Carl
Coloma Christian Paul
Corpuz Christian John
Estavillo Christine Joy
Flores Nina
Galzote Patrick

The Italian literature represents the rich culture of the country and depicts the future heroic legends that
lived in the country for ages. The literary language of Italy was Latin before the 13th century. The
chronicles, the historical poems and the religious poems written in that era were all in Latin.

Italian literature periods.

Italian literature has a rich history spanning over many centuries, with several major periods that are
widely recognized by literary scholars. Here are six major periods of Italian literature with their
definition, explanation, and examples:

The Medieval Period (5th - 15th century)

The Medieval Period in Italian literature is characterized by the use of vernacular language, particularly
Tuscan, and the emergence of epic poetry, lyric poetry, and romance literature. The most famous work of
this period is "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri, which is considered one of the greatest works in
the Western canon.

The Renaissance Period (15th - 16th century)

The Renaissance Period in Italian literature saw a revival of classical learning, humanism, and
individualism. This period is known for its great poets and writers, such as Petrarch, Boccaccio, and
Machiavelli. Their works reflect a fascination with the human experience and a desire to explore the
limits of human knowledge and creativity.

The Baroque Period (17th century)

The Baroque Period in Italian literature is marked by ornate and elaborate prose and poetry that is often
dramatic and emotional. It is characterized by a preoccupation with death, the supernatural, and the
metaphysical. The most famous writer of this period is Giambattista Marino, whose works are known for
their complex and elaborate style.

The Enlightenment Period (18th century)

The Enlightenment Period in Italian literature is marked by a shift towards reason and rationality. This
period saw the emergence of Enlightenment thinkers like Cesare Beccaria and Francesco Algarotti, who
advocated for scientific progress and social reform. The literature of this period is characterized by a
focus on realism and a rejection of the ornate and elaborate style of the Baroque period.

The Romantic Period (19th century)

The Romantic Period in Italian literature is characterized by a focus on individualism, emotion, and the
natural world. It is marked by a return to the use of vernacular language and the emergence of writers
like Alessandro Manzoni and Giacomo Leopardi, whose works reflect a deep connection to the land and
a fascination with the power of human emotion.

The Modern Period (20th century)

The Modern Period in Italian literature is characterized by a rejection of traditional literary forms and a
preoccupation with the individual experience in the modern world. This period saw the emergence of
writers like Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco, who used experimental literary techniques to explore the
complexities of modern life.

Overall, these six major periods of Italian literature reflect the cultural and intellectual evolution of Italy
over the centuries, and continue to inspire and influence writers and readers today.

Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries. He
is best known for his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy," which is considered one of the greatest works of
world literature.

The Divine Comedy is a long narrative poem divided into three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio
(Purgatory), and Paradiso (Heaven). Each part consists of 33 cantos, except for Inferno, which has one
extra canto. The poem tells the story of Dante's journey through the afterlife guided by the poet Virgil in
Inferno and Purgatorio, and then by his beloved Beatrice in Paradiso.

Inferno is perhaps the most famous part of the Divine Comedy, and it depicts Dante's journey through
the nine circles of Hell. Each circle represents a different sin, with the punishments becoming
progressively more severe as one descends deeper into Hell. For example, the first circle is reserved for
virtuous non-Christians, while the ninth circle is reserved for traitors.

Purgatorio, on the other hand, depicts Dante's journey through Purgatory, where souls are cleansed of
their sins before entering Heaven. Purgatory is depicted as a mountain with seven terraces, each
representing one of the seven deadly sins.

Finally, Paradiso depicts Dante's journey through Heaven, where he encounters the souls of the blessed
and ultimately reaches the presence of God.

Dante's work is a complex and intricate exploration of Christian theology, medieval politics, and human
morality. It is a reflection of his own experiences and beliefs, as well as a commentary on the world
around him.

An example of Dante's use of allegory in the Divine Comedy can be found in his portrayal of the sin of
lust in Inferno. In the second circle of Hell, Dante encounters the souls of those who were consumed by
lust in life. They are blown about by a never-ending wind, representing the restless and uncontrollable
nature of their desires.
In conclusion, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy is a masterpiece of world literature that explores the
afterlife and human morality through a complex and intricate allegory. It remains a significant cultural
and literary work that has inspired countless writers and thinkers over the centuries.

Francesco Petrarch, commonly anglicized as Petrarch was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy,
and one of the earliest humanists.Francesco Petrarch born Francisco Petracco, is most famous for being a
poet during the Renaissance era in Italy. He is also credited with founding what is known as Renaissance
Humanism in the 14th Century. He is also held up as the mentor and ideal model for lyricism in poetry.

His famous works are :

-The trionfi(The Triumphs)

The poem evokes the Roman ceremony of triumph, where victorious generals and their armies were
led in procession by the captives and spoils they had taken in war.

-The Canzoniere ( The scattered ryhmes)

-is not a story; it is a collection of 366 poems, mostly sonnets, which are written in Italian; many of
these poems describe the poet's love for a woman he calls Laura, with whom he had little to no actual
contact, but whom he idolized nonetheless.

Giovanni di Pietro di berdanadone, OFM

His famous hymns are;

-The canticle of the sun

The Canticle of the Sun in its praise of God thanks Him for such creations as "Brother Fire" and "Sister
Water". It is an affirmation of Francis' personal theology as he often referred to animals as brothers and
sisters to Mankind, rejected material accumulation and sensual comforts in favor of "Lady Poverty.

-The canticle of all creatures

-Francis displays a confident humility, a humility that rejoices, offers praise, gives thanks and shows
love to God. There is no demand made of God and no focus on self as can so often be found in modern
day “Worship Music”.

ALLESANDRO MANZONI
*He is known as an Italian Poet and Novelist whose novel "I Promesi Sposi" or The Betrothed had
immens patriotic appeal for Italians of the nationalistic Risorgimento Period and generally ranked among
the masterpieces of world Literature.

*The Betrothed tells the story of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia prevented from marrying by the
pretty tyrant Don Rodrigo, who desires Lucia for himself.

*MANZONI was also a poet,prolific essayist and play wright.

*In his life and in his writing, he was committed to the cause of Italian Independence and the forging of a
modern Italian identity, culture and language.

* His famous sacred hymns works are:

THE RESSURECTION
THE NAME OF MARRY
CHRISTMAS
THE PASSION
THE PENTECOST

*Theses hymns intended to commemorate Christian holidays, indicate Manzoni's desire to bring those
great noble human sentiments back to the fold of religion from which they stem.

*In his private life, MANZONI was under every aspect most admirable and exemplary as a public
character. He is the noblest figure in the Italian Literature of the 19th Century.

*ALLESANDRO MANZONI emerged as a dominant figure during his long and extraordinarily productive
life. He was a scholar and thinker in the best sense of the words, respecting thoroughness of
documentation and clarity of analysis.

*MANZONI must be recognized as a fine Christian apologist and a democratic philosopher and his
historical works will be seen to take their rightful place in the area of historiography,documented as they
are with objective rigor.

SONNET 18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Shakespeare uses Sonnet 18 to praise his beloved's beauty and describe all the ways in which their
beauty is preferable to a summer day. The stability of love and its power to immortalize someone is the
overarching theme of this poem.