Introduction to Italian Poetry

This anthology highlights seven centuries of Italian poetry that will help you learn the language as well. Included are 34 examples of Italian verse in the original with English translations on facing pages. Twenty-one poets are represented, from Saint Francis of Assisi, author of the first memorable Italian lyric, "Cancio delle creature," to Salvatore Quasimodo, winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize for Literature. Also included are works by Dante, Petrarch, Ariosto, Tasso, and Montale, as well as such lesser known but significant poets as Compiuta Donzella and Cavalcanti. There are even important works by Boccaccio and Michelangelo. In addition to full Italian texts with expert literal translations on facing pages, this edition contains a wealth of biographical and critical commentary.