Giuseppe Giusti

Giusti, Giuseppe 

Born May 13, 1809, in Monsummano; died Mar. 31, 1850, in Florence. Italian poet.

In his satirical political poems, written in a popular, conversational language, Giusti ridiculed Austrian emperors (“II Dies Irae,” 1835; “The Coronation,” 1838), Italian kings (“King Blockhead,” 1841), opportunistic politicians (“The Toast of Weathercock,” 1840), and the parasitic aristocracy and the new bourgeoisie (“The Ball,” 1841; “The Contract,” 1841; and the narrative poem The Swindler, 1845). In his most famous poem, “The Boot” (1836), the poet expressed hope for Italy’s liberation from the foreign yoke and for its unification.

WORKS

Opere. Edited by Z. Arid. Turin, 1955.
Poesie. Edited by N. Sabbatucci. Milan, 1962.

REFERENCES

Potapova, Z. M. “Italïanskaia literatura Risordzhimento v Rossii 60-kh gg. XIX v.” In the collection Iz istorii literaturnykh sviazei XIX v. Moscow, 1962.
Poluiakhtova, I. K. Istoriia italïanskoi literatury XIX v. (epokha Risordzhimento). Moscow, 1970. Pages 144-49.
Storia della letteratura italiana, vol. 7. Milan, 1969.
Parenti, M. Bibliografia delle opere Giuseppe Giusti. Florence, 1951.

N. G. ELINA