La capra – Umberto Saba | Analisi e commento✨

The video introduces Umberto Saba's poem "La capra," published in 1912. It notes the poem's irregular structure of hendecasyllables and septenaries, with a quinario for the last verse. The subject, a goat, is highlighted as unusual compared to more traditional poetic themes, yet it holds deeper symbolic meanings for Saba.

Saba's use of common animal subjects is discussed, with a reference to his poem "Mia moglie" where he compares his wife to farm animals. The first stanza of "La capra" is then analyzed, focusing on the simple, direct language describing Saba's encounter with a solitary, tied, and rain-soaked goat. The use of assonance and anaphora (e.g., "era, era") and onomatopoeia ("belava") are noted.

The second stanza is examined, where the goat's bleating is described as fraternal to Saba's pain, signifying a shared, universal suffering. Saba initially responds playfully but then profoundly connects with the goat's lament. Key poetic devices like zoosemy, anaphora, and assonance (e.g., "semita, sentiva") are identified. The concept of "empatia" (empathy) is introduced as Saba's ability to share in this universal pain.

The discussion moves to the symbolism of the goat, an humble animal representing a moral choice. The goat's humanized state (solitary, tied, satiated with grass) and its lament are highlighted. A significant focus is placed on the phrase "capra dal viso semita" (goat with a Semitic face), and its connection to Saba's Jewish heritage (his mother was Jewish). The historical suffering of the Jewish people is briefly mentioned in relation to the imagery of the "Semitic face."

It is clarified that while the phrase "viso semita" can evoke discussions about Saba's origins and potential antisemitism, Saba himself stated it was a purely visual impression, a "colpo di genio" (stroke of genius) to model a figure, without conscious pro or anti-Jewish sentiment. The video concludes by noting Saba's simple, everyday lexicon, contrasted with some archaic or formal terms, and categorizes the poem as discursive.