A reading of Mario Luzi's Cimitero delle fanciulle

Abstract

Franco Fortini considered Cimitero delle franciulle, from Avvento notturno (1940), one of Mario Luzi’s finest works for the Leopardian influence lending it an eccentric quality compared to the more symbolist nature of the rest of the collection. This essay explores Leopardi’s influence embedded in a crucial topos for the young Luzi, that of the “blossoming maiden”, and provides the reader general insight into Avvento notturno at the micro and macro levels of textual analysis.