Leopardi, Giacomo 1798-1837
Italian poet

Born in Recanati, by the age of 16 he had read all the Latin and Greek classics, could write French, Spanish, English and Hebrew, and wrote a commentary on Plotinus. He devoted himself to literature, and although an invalid, travelled widely, and lived successively in Bologna, Florence, Milan and Pisa. In 1833 he accompanied his friend Ranieri to Naples and settled there. His works, which show his pessimistic views on life, include lyrics, collected under the title I Canti (1831, Eng trans The Poems, 1893), dialogues and essays classed as Operette Morali (1827, translated in a bilingual edition under original title, 1983), Pensieri (7 vols, 1898-1900, 'Thoughts') and letters.

Bibliography: H H Whitfield, Giacomo Leopardi (1954)