Ugo Foscolo: An Italian poet in England. The consequences of migration in his literary production. Sgouridou Maria, Gerasimos Zoras National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Philosophy Department of Italian Language and Literature msgourid@ill.uoa.gr, sgoumary@yahoo.gr Abstract Ugo Foscolo who was one of the most important poets of the European literature, lived between two centuries: the 18 th and the 19 th. Although he represents the current of neoclassicism he has been considered as an expressive voice of romanticism also. Actually he lived his life as an authentic romantic hero and his alter Ego was Jacopo Ortis the central figure in his epistolary romance entitled le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis. Notably, this famous romance introduces the romanticism in Italy. Foscolo also composed many other great poems until 1816 when he self-exiled in England. Although he was free to produce any kind of literary work, during his migration he didn t compose any new poem or romance. In contrast he performed a great amount of literary review focused mainly on Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Did this turn represent a lack of inspiration? Was migration -and the associated conditions- the main reason for this change?
Keywords Ugo Foscolo, migration, literary production FOSCOLO EMIGRATION AND DIASPORA Part one Ugo Foscolo was born at Zante, one of the most important Ionian islands under the domination of Venice. His father was Italian and his mother Greek. Foscolo is only 6 years old, when he has to follow his father with the whole family (he also had 2 brothers and 1 sister) a Spalato. This was his first translocation in Italy. He stays there until 1788 when the father dies. Then his mother decides to go to Venice with the rest of the family, but Ugo returns to his island. He lives there with an aunt, but finally decides to join the family at Venice in 1792. After that he will never see Greece again. Foscolo, was just a kid when leaves his country for first time but the prospective is not bad at all: takes lessons of Italian language at a seminar, and father had a good job as general director of the local hospital. But unfortunately everything is going to change suddenly: 4 years later, is obliged to go back alone without his family. This is the second translocation, to Greece again. Already bilingual has to continue his studies and live with the paternal absence, in a close and conservative community. As a teenager, fourteen years old he will be an emigrant for third and last time, to Italy. Without doubt his double origin, made things much easier, but leaving home, family and friends three times in eight years (1784-1792) was not easy. Although he was very young his way of thinking was mature and progressive: at the age of eleven, Foscolo became the leader of his childhood and tried with his company to liberate the Hebrews from their ghetto: arrested by the authorities of the island, spend two or three nights at the police station but this particular fact put in evidence his own character: he adores the idea of freedom, he cannot accept any kind of compromises, he is a fighter. And certainly, was a very different boy from the other of his age. The painful experience of his father s death and the reality of another country that he tasted so young, the emigration, both influenced his personality. After 1792, at Venice, Foscolo, has to accept the bitterness of the poverty: Although his mother tries to do her best for the family without any property, salary or a kind of incomethe economic situation of the family, is rather tragic. According to the sources, young
Foscolo, was living then at the Quartiere dei Gatti, one of the most problematic of the city and many times he had no food or fire. During 1794, Foscolo composes his first poems. The same period fell in love with Isabella Teotochi Albrizzi, which recognizes his special talent and introduces him at the high society and not only: some of the most important intellectuals as Melchiorre Cesarotti, Ippolito Pintemonte and later Vincenzo Monti, will be all attracted from the spirit of the young man and they will help him with his studies at the University of Padova. So the gifted student will approach the classic Greek and Latin literature, the modern European also (French and German). The culture that receives is double as his origin: The philosophy of the Enlightenment dominated during the eighteenth century and the ideas of Romanticism that developed in nineteenth century. The author will be able to combine these two contrary ideologies in his work. His poetry is characterized by considerable harmony, especially, between the years 1796-1816. These two decays are also full of internal translocations in all over Italy: 1797-Foscolo leaves Venice and goes to Milan as a political refugee. A year later, 1798, we find him a Bologna. In 1799, passes to Florence, after a Livorno, finally at Genoa and stays there until 1800. During 1801, returns to Florence and then goes back to Milan again (!). He will stay to the capital of the Italian north for almost three years. From 1804-1806 goes to France-Calais, Valenciennes, Saint Omer- as a captain of the napoleon army. During the March of 1806 comes back to Italy, at Brescia this time and after a year (1807-1808) between Brescia and Pavia. Finally, we will find him one more time at Milan, till the end of 1811. From 1812-1813 spends almost two years at Florence and during the November of 1813 terminates again at Milan. According to researchers all these years, regarding his poetic production were more than fertile: from 1797 when he starts composing his most successful tragedy Tieste, everyone understands that Foscolo is something more than a gifted young poet. He is a very promising author a special, relevant case in the area of the Italian literature. In a few years (1799-1802) after the publication of his sonnets, ballads and most of all, his popular romance Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis he became famous. Extremely interesting is the deep connection observed between Foscolo and his romantic hero, Jacopo Ortis: Ortis acts as his twin brother, in fact as his alter ego: very proud, lonely, fallen always desperately in love, depressed from the political system, an honest person who has always to live separated from the family and the beloved woman. Just like Foscolo, which represents the incarnation of the romantic hero. With Foscolo begins the Romanticism in Italy, not only as a theory but practically as real way of life. A very productive way of life also: despite of difficulties, economic problems, personal adventures or the eternal moving from a place to another our poet works hard: a very characteristic example of his spiritual force, proof of his creativity is his masterpiece Dei Sepolcri, composed in a few months, when he returned from France after two extremely
difficult years. All this terrible experience was transformed in a rich inspiration. The little boy from the Ionian islands who had to learn from the beginning the Italian, in ten years was one of the most important poets of the peninsula able to express himself in the language of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. In 1808 Foscolo will be nominated professor of Rhetoric at the University of Padova. As we have already noticed, the difficult circumstances were never an obstacle for his favorite occupation: The literature. So until 1816 composes two tragedies, another romance, Didimo Chierico, two important translations-the first from Homer and the second from Sterne- and another excellent poem that combines lyric style with the epic form, the famous Graces ( Le Grazie). He remains a revolutionary, as we saw since he was a child and a lover full of passion: Only between 1812-1813 we find in his letters several names of ladies that inspired him. This way of living was adopted from the poet until 1816. After the Napoleon s fall, Austria demands from Foscolo and all the exofficials a proof of faith. The poet offended denies and at 1815 is looking for a refuge to Switzerland. In 1816, abandons forever Italy, starting out a new life in England. Carlo Cattaneo, has written about it: Con quell atto Ugo Foscolo diede alla nuova Italia una nuova istituzione l esilio. Behind him, he was leaving Hypercalypsis, an answer against all his enemies. Part two In 1818, after a short happy period, Foscolo s economic situation became difficult again. For three years (1819-1821) was unhappily in love with Caroline Russel. He dedicated to her the first publication of the Essays on Petrarch, one of his most famous philological works. In 1822 finds finally him his daughter Floriana. Unfortunately he spends her heritance and a year later, after the complete edition of his work about Petrarch- dedicated to the Lady Dacre-the economic disaster is more than obvious. Foscolo and his daughter have to leave their home, because of the pressure of his creditors. In order to avoid the prison, he remains hidden in Turnham Green from 1824 until 1827. He works for European Review and for Pickering preparing a collection about all classic Italian poets. During this last difficult period of his life he occupied with the critical articles regarding Dante s Divine Comedy and Boccaccio s Decameron. He also teaches Italian for living from 1825-26. He was offended from liver infection, the illness that caused his death, at 10 September of 1827. His life was not easy or happy, but as we can see, these last eleven years this brilliant spirit stayed away from his beloved occupation: the poetry. Why? It was luck of inspiration? He suffered from a kind of homesickness? Or there was another reason?
Part three As we have already seen the idea and the reality of emigration was familiar to Foscolo since he was ten years old. But during this particular period, 1788, the Ionian islands, were still under the venetian domination and considered as a region belonged to the Serenissima. So his first translocation to Spalato- from a Greek island with important Italian elements of culture- to Italy, was in fact an internal emigration. Although the similarities between the two countries, there were differences also: the young Foscolo learned to accept the other with his particular characteristics. He became open minded, lover of freedom extremely sensible and mature. That s why, he tried to destroy the ghetto: for the other boys may be it was a kind of playing for him it was a question of humanity. This must be considered as a result of his experience. Later, established at Venice will not stay for long, just five years. Dedicated to his studies-philosophy of materialism and classic literature-became also the biggest admirer of Vittorio Alfieri, who spent his life travelling all over the world. Alfieri had the possibility to live like this, but our poet not: on the contrary he was obliged to go from one city to another for reasons of career. In France, Foscolo followed his regime because was hoping to be promoted. But he always returns and moves around the same places: the areas of Toscana and Lombard are the limits of his activities. He is not a stranger any more. After so many years, still proud of the double origin, thinks, speaks and lives as an Italian or a romantic hero in Italy the same time. The continue alternation of these particular places, does not represent a radical life change. The problems-mostly economic-were inevitable everywhere. And everywhere the same language, the known circumstances and his friends were waiting for him. With the family at Venice (not so far away) until 1816, was practically always at home. The poetic production is not a problem. At his late thirties, takes the big decision and the deep change comes. England is another world, another reality. People, language, costumes, everything is different. Foscolo is used to the idea of difference, tries hard to accept all these and to be accepted from the community there. But this is not so easy, because he is not so young anymore. He has a grown personality and his own ideas of life. Even romanticism is not the same there: Foscolo unable to feel totally free, as was used to, with the new presence- his daughter- cannot leave his country. His complicated personal life was never a problem in Italy but an inspiration for creative writing: poetry. In England this kind of writing is not enough to maintain a high level of life. The society seems to prefer something else, more scientific and positive. So he starts writing the interpretation of the classic literature in order to make easier for the British, the approach to the beautiful poetry of Italy. So, without freedom, love and his own poetry, feels unhappy and hopeless. The critical work temporally comforts him. The poet, does not exist anymore, there is only the
translator who makes the comments and the Italian stranger which teaches his own language for living. Almost a year before his death desires only one thing: to return to Greece. He wants to feel free again, touch the eternal beauty of the Greek nature and become an active poet again, a creator full of power who builds his own universe. But is already too late: his health is destroyed. As he had predicted twenty-four years ago, a noi prescrisse /il fato illacrimata sepoltura, died so far away from the family and his country, but not without tears