Salvatore Quasimodo
Salvatore Quasimodo
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Salvatore Quasimodo was born on August 20, 1901, in Calabria, Italy, as Domenico Salvatore Quasimodo. He is commonly known by his pen name, "Quasimodo".
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: August 20, 1901
Died: June 14, 1968
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Salvatore Quasimodo was an Italian poet, critic, and translator. He is considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century Italian literature.
Early Life and Background
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Quasimodo grew up in a family of modest means in Calabria. His father, Antonio Quasimodo, was a stonemason, while his mother, Giuseppa La Penna, was a seamstress. The young Domenico showed a keen interest in literature and poetry from an early age.
Quasimodo's family moved to Messina when he was just 10 years old. It was there that he began to develop his writing skills and started publishing his first poems. In 1919, Quasimodo enrolled at the University of Messina to study law, but he eventually dropped out due to financial constraints.
Major Accomplishments
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Quasimodo's literary career spans over four decades. He is best known for his poetry collections, including "Acque e terre" (1920), "O parecchie pietre" (1921), and "Giovinezza" (1942). His work often explores themes of love, nature, and social justice.
Quasimodo was also a prominent critic and translator. He translated works by French poets such as Baudelaire and Verlaine into Italian, introducing their poetry to the Italian audience. As a critic, Quasimodo wrote extensively on modern and contemporary literature, influencing many young writers of his time.
Notable Works or Actions
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Quasimodo's most famous poem, "Ed è subito sera", is considered one of the greatest poems in 20th-century Italian literature. He also wrote a notable essay titled "La religione del poeta" (The Poet's Religion), which explores the role of the poet in society.
In addition to his literary work, Quasimodo was a vocal advocate for social justice and human rights. During World War II, he joined the Italian resistance movement and participated in the liberation of Rome.
Impact and Legacy
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Quasimodo's influence on 20th-century literature is immense. His poetry and criticism have inspired generations of writers, including notable figures like Eugenio Montale and Giorgio Caproni.
In recognition of his contributions to Italian literature, Quasimodo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1959. He also received numerous other accolades, including the Viareggio Prize (1947) and the Antonio Feltrinelli International Prize for Literary Criticism (1963).
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Salvatore Quasimodo is widely quoted or remembered due to his powerful and evocative poetry. His works often express a deep sense of humanity, social awareness, and aesthetic sensitivity.
Quasimodo's legacy extends beyond his literary contributions. He was a passionate advocate for human rights and social justice, inspiring many through his actions during World War II. Today, he remains one of the most celebrated figures in Italian literature, continuing to inspire readers around the world with his enduring works.
Quotes by Salvatore Quasimodo
Poetry is the revelation of a feeling that the poet believes to be interior and personal which the reader recognizes as his own.
As the poet has expected, the alarms now are sounded, for – and it must be said again – the birth of a poet is always a threat to the existing cultural order, because he attempts to break through the circle of literary castes to reach the center.
The poet’s other readers are the ancient poets, who look upon the freshly written pages from an incorruptible distance. Their poetic forms are permanent, and it is difficult to create new forms which can approach them.
Religious poetry, civic poetry, lyric or dramatic poetry are all categories of man’s expression which are valid only if the endorsement of formal content is valid.
In opposition to this detachment, he finds an image of man which contains within itself man’s dreams, man’s illness, man’s redemption from the misery of poverty – poverty which can no longer be for him a sign of the acceptance of life.
The poet’s spoken discourse often depends on a mystique, on the spiritual freedom that finds itself enslaved on earth.
Thus, the poet’s word is beginning to strike forcefully upon the hearts of all men, while absolute men of letters think that they alone live in the real world.
The enemy of the Resistance, for all his shouting, is today only a shadow, without much strength. His voice is more impersonal than his proposals.
The poet's spoken discourse often depends on a mystique, on the spiritual freedom that finds itself enslaved on earth.
War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won or lost.