For a collective commentary on Giovanni Raboni’s Quare tristis

Abstract

The paper is a commentary on five sonnets from Giovanni Raboni’s Quare tristis (1998): [Ricevitoria del lutto], [Come uno che sta sognando], [Stare coi morti], [Quanti fossero i pioppi] and [Qui è Valvins, qui è Voronež]. This is the result of a collective work aimed to provide an annotated edition of the collection. The commentary, that consists of an introduction and notes for each text, focuses on the literal interpretation of the poems. It briefly reconstructs their genesis and publishing history, then delves into their themes, structure, language and style, as well as the various levels of both internal and external intertextuality.