Summary
Highlights
The poem "San Martino," originally titled "San Martino in Maremma Pisana," was written in 1883 by Giosuè Carducci and included in his collection 'Rime Nuove.' The term 'estate di San Martino' refers to a period of mild, sunny weather in autumn, usually around November 11th, Saint Martin's Day. This day holds significance in agricultural traditions, marking the end of field work and the beginning of winemaking.
The period around Saint Martin's Day is beautiful, characterized by clear blue skies after the first autumn rains. Nature displays stunning gold and red colors as leaves fall, creating a sense of wonder. Various proverbs and traditions are associated with this day, such as 'a San Martino ogni mosto è vino' (at Saint Martin's, all must becomes wine), highlighting its connection to wine production. Saint Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier who, after sharing his cloak with a beggar, converted to Christianity.
“San Martino” is an Anacreontic ode, similar to his other work "Pianto Antico." Composed in 1883, it consists of four quatrains of seven-syllable lines with an AABB rhyme scheme, where the last verse of each stanza is truncated. Anacreontic odes, popular in the 18th century, evoke playful and joyful themes like wine and euphoria. The poem is structured in four stanzas: the first describes the natural landscape, the second depicts village life, the third features warming images of fire and wine, and the fourth introduces a melancholic theme through the image of black birds against the reddish sunset clouds.
The first quatrain describes the misty hills and the roaring, white-capped sea buffeted by the maestrale wind. The second stanza portrays the village, where the pungent smell of new wine from the bubbling vats (tini) gladdens spirits. The phrase "aspro odor" is a synesthesia, combining different senses. The third and fourth quatrains introduce vivid imagery: the sputtering spit over the crackling fire, and the hunter watching flocks of black birds against the reddish clouds of dusk, likened to exiled thoughts. The poem uses several rhetorical figures, including anastrophe and simile, to enhance its descriptive power.
"San Martino" is one of Carducci's most famous poems. His poetic style often emphasizes landscapes, particularly the Maremma region. Carducci also sought to adapt ancient metrics to the Italian language, creating 'odi barbare' (barbarian odes). Unlike ancient metrics based on quantity, Italian metrics are accent-based. In 'Rime Nuove,' he revisited metric forms, such as the Anacreontic ode, previously re-proposed in the 18th century.