The Poems

Aonia edizioni. Translated: F. Townsend. Preface: O. B. Frothingham. Giacomo Leopardi is a great name in Italy among philosophers and poets but is quite unknown in this country and Mr. Townsend has the honor of introducing him in the most captivating way to his countrymen. In Germany and France he has excited attention. Translations have been made of his works; essays have been written on his ideas. But in England his name is all but unheard of. Six or seven years ago Mr. Charles Edwards published a translation of the essays and dialogues but no version of the poems has appeared so far as I know. Leopardi was substantially a poet that is to say he had imagination sentiment passion an intense love of beauty a powerful impulse towards things ideal. The sad tone of his speculations about the universe and human destiny gave an impression of mournfulness to his lines but this rather deepened the pathos of his work.