Summary
Highlights
The video introduces the analysis of Eugenio Montale's poem 'L'anguilla'. The speaker shares a personal connection to the poem, as it was a topic during their state exam in 2013, making its analysis particularly meaningful.
'L'anguilla' is part of Montale's collection 'La bufera e altro,' published in 1956, though the poem itself dates back to 1948. This collection marks a significant shift in Montale's poetry, reflecting the post-World War II period. Montale's disillusionment with the societal and political context (rise of mass society, Christian Democracy) and personal struggles (loss of his mother, Irma Brandis's departure, new love with Maria Luisa Spaziani) heavily influenced this work.
The poem 'L'anguilla' is a long, single period of 30 verses, primarily composed of hendecasyllables and septenaries. It can be divided into two main parts: the description of the eel's journey and a rhetorical question addressed to Clizia.
Montale addresses Clizia (Irma Brandeis), who symbolizes idealized and allegorical love. The eel, in contrast, represents carnal love. These two forms of love, though seemingly antithetical, are presented as complementary within the poem.
The speaker reads and paraphrases the first part of the poem, detailing the eel's arduous journey from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean. The eel navigates through rivers, against currents, and through muddy crevices, epitomized by phrases like 'di ramo in ramo' and 'di capello in capello', always moving deeper into the 'heart of the rock' until it is illuminated by a ray of light.
The analysis continues with the second part, where the eel is described using metaphors such as 'torch, whip, arrow of love on earth'. It is depicted as a 'green soul' searching for life even in desolation, a 'spark' that ignites renewal amidst decay. The poem concludes with a direct address to Clizia, asking if she can deny the eel her sisterhood, highlighting the connection between the eel's vibrant journey and Clizia's eyes.
The poem is rich in literary devices, including apostrophe, periphrasis, anaphora, metaphors, personification, enumeration, and enjambment. Key metaphors, or objective correlatives, are identified: the eel as carnal love and poetry, its journey as human life's struggles, the 'adverse current' as obstacles, the 'green soul' as vital impulse, the 'spark' as life's resurgence, 'brief iris' as Clizia's salvific eyes, and 'mud' as life's squalor.
The eel symbolizes life, driven by the urge to reproduce despite obstacles. The speaker addresses the debated point of whether Montale confused the eel with a salmon, as only salmon typically ascend rivers to reproduce. The eel is also equated with a siren due to its journey from cold seas and its ambiguous nature, making it a symbol of poetry itself, akin to the enchanting but dangerous siren's song. The eel's journey and refulgent scales, illuminated by sunlight, represent a powerful, vital impulse.
The eel is presented as an 'anima verde' (green soul), signifying life and hope, thriving even in desolation. Its luminescence, described as a 'spark', suggests life's resurgence from apparent destruction. The eel's body is compared to Clizia's eyes, emphasizing the pure and unspoiled light she emanates amidst humanity's 'mud'. Clizia remains untainted, representing a pure form of light and love, complementing the carnal love symbolized by the eel. The poem concludes by merging carnal and spiritual love, asserting that poetry can encompass both.