Poems about Liguria, from Montale to Cardarelli
Liguria in poetry
Liguria is poetry, a land of contrasts and wild beauty that over the centuries has inspired poets and writers, thinkers and travelers from all over the world.
Rugged and luminous landscapes, a deep and mysterious sea, paths capable of getting lost in the most luxuriant vegetation and then suddenly opening onto a colorful village, harbinger of ancient traditions: from Eugenio Montale to Camillo Sbarbaro, to illustrious “foreigners” such as Vincenzo Caldarelli, poems about Liguria manage to translate into verse the unique sensations evoked by this land.
Eugenio montale, authentic Liguria in poetry
Of all Ligurian poets, Eugenio Montale is surely the most famous and representative.
Born in Genoa in 1896, Montale dedicated much of his poetic production to Liguria, representing its rough and authentic identity in harsh and melancholy tones.
His verses are a tribute to his native land, its sunny landscapes and suspended silences. Montale was able to capture the very essence of Liguria, its most intimate and true soul, making it converse with the listener’s heart.
“Meriggiare pallido e assorto” is one of his most famous poems, a perfect image of Liguria in summer, with its hot sun and still sea.
“Meriggiare pallido e assorto
presso un rovente muro d’orto,
ascoltare tra i pruni e gli sterpi
schiocchi di merli, frusci di serpi.
Nelle crepe del suolo o su la veccia
spiar le file di rosse formiche
ch’ora si rompono ed ora s’intrecciano
a sommo di minuscole biche.
Osservare tra frondi il palpitare
lontano di scaglie di mare
mentre si levano tremuli scricchi
di cicale dai calvi picchi.
E andando nel sole che abbaglia
sentire con triste meraviglia
com’è tutta la vita e il suo travaglio
in questo seguitare una muraglia
che ha in cima cocci aguzzi di bottiglia.”
Montale is also the poet of the “Creuze,” the narrow streets that wind through Ligurian villages, and of the “muretti a secco,” symbols of a land that is difficult to cultivate but rich in charm, elements often found in his poems.
Camillo Sbarbaro, the delicate everyday life of Liguria.
Another great Ligurian poet is Camillo Sbarbaro, born in Santa Margherita Ligure in 1888.
Unlike Montale, Sbarbaro sang Liguria in simpler, everyday tones, dwelling on the value of small things, seemingly insignificant details that instead reveal the deeper soul of a place.
His poems are an invitation to observe the world with new eyes, to savor the poetry that is hidden in everyday things, in small gestures and in the most authentic emotions.
“Shavings” is a poem that well represents Sbarbaro’s style, a vivid and realistic photograph of the region with its colors, smells and sounds.
“Scarsa lingua di terra che orla il mare,
chiude la schiena arida dei monti;
scavata da improvvisi fiumi; morsa
dal sale come anello d’ancoraggio;
percossa dalla farsa; combattuta
dai venti che ti recano dal largo
l’alghe e le procellarie
ara di pietra sei, tra cielo e mare
levata, dove brucia la canicola
aromi di selvagge erbe“.
One of the poems about Liguria characterized by loneliness and melancholy, feelings that often accompany contemplation of the coastal landscape.
Vincenzo Cardarelli, poetry as memory and inner landscape.
Born in Tarquinia in 1887 but deeply attached to Liguria, Vincenzo Cardarelli was an Italian poet, writer and journalist.
His poetry is characterized by a nostalgic and reflective tone, with strong ties to memory and the inner landscape. Cardarelli was able to express through his verses his love for this land, describing its special features in one of the most beautiful poems about Liguria.
“È la Liguria terra leggiadra.
Il sasso ardente, l’argilla pulita,
s’avvivano di pampini al sole.
È gigante l’ulivo. A primavera
appar dovunque la mimosa effimera.
Ombra e sole s’alternano
per quelle fondi valli
che si celano al mare,
per le vie lastricate
che vanno in su, fra campi di rose,
pozzi e terre spaccate,
costeggiando poderi e vigne chiuse.
In quell’arida terra il sole striscia
sulle pietre come un serpe.
Il mare in certi giorni
è un giardino fiorito.
Reca messaggi il vento.
Venere torna a nascere
ai soffi del maestrale.
O chiese di Liguria, come navi
disposte a esser varate!
O aperti ai venti e all’onde
liguri cimiteri!
Una rosea tristezza vi colora
quando di sera, simile ad un fiore
che marcisce, la grande luce
si va sfacendo e muore.”
