Summary
Highlights
In the final stanza, a light wind blows over moonlit peaks, and the song of crickets sounds like silver sistra, instruments used in ancient funerary rites, tapping on the invisible doors of death that may never open. The insistent 'chiù' now becomes a 'pianto di morte' (cry of death). The sistra are linked to the cult of Isis, which promised resurrection. Pascoli, however, questions this resurrection, suggesting that the doors of death might not open anymore, not returning the deceased to life. Rhetorical figures include personification ('tremava un sospiro di vento'), alliteration ('finissimi sistri d'argento'), metaphor, and onomatopoeia. The extensive use of the vowel 'i' in 'finissimi sistri' and 'tintin invisibili' contributes to the phono-symbolism, conveying the impression of cricketing sounds and a mysterious, yet anguishing, enigma.
The poem concludes with a double ascending climax, where the 'chiù' cry evolves from a shout to a sob, and finally to a cry of death, effectively conveying the growing anguish and the tragic undertone of the poem.
The video introduces Giovanni Pascoli's poem 'L'assiuolo', first published in 1897 and included in the Myricae collection. The poem consists of quatrains of novenari with an ABAB rhyme scheme. The 'assiuolo' is a nocturnal raptor, similar to an owl, known for its mournful cry, which is represented by the onomatopoeic 'chiù' throughout the poem.
The first stanza describes a 'pearly dawn' where the moon is either veiled by mist or casting light before rising. Trees like the almond and apple seem to stretch to see the moon. Pascoli's precise naming of plants, as seen in his other works like 'Novembre', is highlighted. Rhetorical figures include a metaphor ('alba di perla'), synesthesia ('soffi di lampi'), metonymy ('nero di nubi'), and personification of the trees.
The second stanza depicts rare stars shining through a 'milky fog' and the sound of waves resembling a cradle. The poet's heart is stirred by the 'assiuolo's' cry, reminding him of a long-standing, unforgettable pain. This pain is explicitly linked to the tragic death of Pascoli's father on August 10, 1867, and subsequent losses that marked his life. Rhetorical devices include a metaphor ('nebbia di latte'), anaphora ('sentivo'), and a simile ('come un'eco di un grido che fu'). The onomatopoeia 'frou frou' for rustling branches also contributes to the poem's phono-symbolism and evokes a mysterious, unsettling atmosphere.