Three Modern Italian Poets: Saba, Ungaretti, Montale

by Joseph Cary

Focusing on the most recent triad of Italian poetic genius—Umberto Saba, Giuseppe Ungaretti, and Eugenio Montale—Joseph Cary not only presents striking biographical portraits as he facilitates our understanding of their poetry; he also guides us through the first few decades of twentieth-century Italy, a most difficult period in its literary and cultural development.

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Morbid Swither]

I more or less just skimmed this whole book, just taking in bits and pieces that attracted my attention. The sole intentional reading project I have for 2022 is to revel in Italian poetry. Would love recommendations!

[Paul Kerschen]

Montale, as established, is my favorite; next to him Ungaretti seems needlessly vatic, Saba needlessly coy, but I profited from time with all three. Cary is good company. His casual English renderings of the poems, in small type, are often better than prestige poetic translations by others. The opening chapter, about the previous dismal fin-de-siècle scene, gets off zingers but does not seem unfair.