Sonette

Since the early Renaissance, poets across Europe have emulated the sonnets of Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), pursuing a lyrical program in which the loving and suffering individual may recognize the universal human experience through personal encounters. However, Alfieri's "Petrarchism" is entirely self-referential and, with its dramatic emphasis on personal emotions, almost exhibits expressionist traits. His sonnets are characterized by overflowing passion and a strong need for expression. Eros, the drive for freedom, and the pursuit of poetic fame are his essential concerns; Alfieri is closer to Sturm und Drang than to the courtly culture of the Cinquecento. The bilingual volume presented here offers a representative selection of Alfieri's sonnets, including political, satirical, philosophical, autobiographical, poetry-related, and amorous pieces— the latter exclusively dedicated to Luise Countess zu Stolberg (1746-1824). Christoph Ferber (born 1954) has translated works by Gaspara Stampa, Ugo Foscolo, Eugenio Montale, Salvatore Quasimodo, and Stéphane Mallarmé, among others. Georges Güntert (born 1938) has included all scattered amorous poems in this bilingual volume, making the entire love poetry of Ronsard accessible in the highly praised translation by André Gide Prize winner Georg Holzer.