ITALIAN BOOKSHELF (download as PDF) - Ibiblio

420 Annali d’italianistica 30 (2012)
Sgruttendio da Scafati, Perrucci); “The Eighteenth Century” (Oliva, Lombardo,
Capasso, Pagano, St. Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, Piccinni); “Before Di
Giacomo” (Sacco, D’Arienzo, Capurro, Bracco); “From Verismo to ‘Melos’”
(devoted entirely to Salvatore Di Giacomo); “Between Realism and Poetry”
(devoted entirely to Fernando Russo); “Other Poets of the Nineteenth Century”
(Ernesto Murolo, Galdieri, Nicolardi); “Poetry as Theater” (devoted solely to
Raffaele Viviani); “The Twentieth Century” (Bovio, Mario, De Filippo); and,
most challenging, “Neodialect Poetry” (Pignatelli [the pseudonym of a member
of Parliament], Achille Serrao himself, Sovente, Di Natale and Bàino). The
volume also includes a bibliography and biographical notes. Each selection is
presented with a brief (1-2 page) introduction that situates the work in its
historical, cultural and linguistic context, often noting inspirations and
influences across time. Here the critical apparatus (notes and short list of
references before each selection) is invaluable. The numerous Neapolitan
publishers remind the readers that Naples was once (and still is) a city with a
thriving editorial and publishing culture.
Common themes throughout the centuries include love (unrequited and
fulfilled), lust and longing, and also nature, relationships, society, criminality,
food, children and popular religion: in short, a prism through which we can
come to understand Neapolitan culture over time.
Among the many poetic gems, I find Ferdinando Russo’s “‘A Madonna d’
’e mandarine” charming:
Quanno ncielo n’angiulillo
nun fa chello c’ha da fa’
’o Signore int’a na cella
scura scura ’o fa nzerrà
[ . . . ]
L’angiulillo, da llà dinto,
fa sentì tanta lamiente.
“Meh Signò, dice San Pietro,
pe’ sta vota . . . nun fa niente.”
“Nonzignore! Accussì voglio!
State zitto! dice Dio;
si no ognuno se ne piglia!
’N Paraviso cummann’io!”
E San Pietro avota ’e spalle.
Da la cella scura scura
l’angiulillo chiagne e sbatte,
dice ’e metterse paura!
Ma ’a Madonna, quanno ognuno
sta durmenno a suonne chine,
annascuso ’e tutte quante
va e lle porta ’e mandarine.