Oh! Night

Description:

Giuseppe Ungaretti’s poem O Notte was written in 1919 and is part of the collection Sentimento del tempo. This poem reflects on themes of memory, time, and the melancholic passage of youth. The poem contrasts the anxiety of dawn with the peaceful silence of night, presenting a melancholic introspection of the poet. Ungaretti uses rich imagery and metaphors to convey the transition from the vibrancy of youth to the solitude of old age, emphasizing the fleeting nature of time and the comfort found in the night’s embrace. The poem’s structure includes free verse, with a mix of various line lengths and rhythmic patterns, enhancing its lyrical and introspective quality

About the poet:

Giuseppe Ungaretti was an influential Italian poet, born on February 10, 1888, in Alexandria, Egypt, and he passed away on June 1, 1970, in Milan, Italy. Ungaretti is best known for founding the Hermetic movement, which significantly impacted modern Italian poetry by advocating for a more personal and introspective style. His early life in Egypt provided him with lasting imagery that recurred throughout his poetry. After moving to Paris in 1912, he studied at the Sorbonne and formed relationships with prominent poets and artists, including Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso, which deeply influenced his work.

Ungaretti’s experience as a soldier during World War I profoundly shaped his poetic voice. His first collection, “Il porto sepolto” (The Buried Port), published in 1916, features poems that break away from traditional forms, reflecting the desolation and fragmentation of war. His later works, such as “Sentimento del tempo” (The Feeling of Time) and “Il dolore” (Grief), continued to explore themes of loss, time, and the search for meaning. Ungaretti’s poetry is characterized by its minimalism and intense emotional depth, often using stripped-down language to convey profound existential reflections

1. Scuolissima.com. “O notte – Ungaretti: parafrasi, analisi e commento.” Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.scuolissima.com.

2. Babel Web Anthology. “Ungaretti, Giuseppe: O notte.” Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.babelmatrix.org/works/it/Ungaretti%2C_Giuseppe-1888/O_notte.

3. “Giuseppe Ungaretti.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giuseppe-Ungaretti.

4.“Giuseppe Ungaretti.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/giuseppe-ungaretti.