Leopardi, << lay oh PAHR dee, >> Giacomo (1798-1837), was an Italian lyric poet. He experienced ill health, poor eyesight, and scoliosis (curvature of the spine) from an early age, and felt lonely and unloved despite the brilliance of his career. Leopardi’s poems are sensitive expressions of the despair and suffering he felt in his life. But the pessimistic tone in his poetry is often softened by hope in the future and an underlying love of life.
Leopardi’s verse collections include Idylls (1825) and Songs (1836). His other important work is Le operette morali (Moral Essays, 1824-1832). In this series of essays, Leopardi reinterpreted historical figures and ancient myths and legends in order to show their timeless significance.
Leopardi was born on June 29, 1798, in Recanati. By the age of 16, he had mastered several languages and was writing scholarly essays as well as poetry. Leopardi died on June 14, 1837.
