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Gabriele D’Annunzio and the WWI Rhetoric in ”L’Ode pour la résurrection latine”

Gabriele D’Annunzio and the WWI Rhetoric in ”L’Ode pour la résurrection latine”. Nemla 2014, April3-6 Harrisburg, PA, USA. Marja Härmänmaa, University of Helsinki, Finland. About the social role of a writer. Against the fin de siècle ’s social escapism Francesco De Sanctis (1817-1883)

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Gabriele D’Annunzio and the WWI Rhetoric in ”L’Ode pour la résurrection latine”

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  1. Gabriele D’Annunzio and the WWI Rhetoric in ”L’Ode pour la résurrection latine” Nemla 2014, April3-6 Harrisburg, PA, USA Marja Härmänmaa, University of Helsinki, Finland

  2. About the social role of a writer • Against the fin de siècle’s social escapism • Francesco De Sanctis (1817-1883) • Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907) • Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938)

  3. D’Annunzio and politics • MP in 1897 • WWI hero • Founder of the city state of Fiume

  4. D’Annunzio and the modern politics • Mass society • Participation of masses in politics

  5. D’Annunzio and the modern political discourse • Founder in Europe • To arouse enthusiasm • No facts, nor rational analysis • Melodramatic and poetic style • Myths and symbols

  6. D’Annunzio’s political program • Aestheticization of politics • Post-unification’s nationalism (1861) • Italy must be a great nation

  7. Pre WWI political writings • Armata d’Italia (1881) • political articles • Odi navali (1893) • militaristic poems • Merope / Canzoni della Gesta d’oltremare (1911-1912) • poems about the Italian-Turkish war in Libya

  8. Italy and the WWI • Allied with the Central Powers • Neutrality till May 23, 1915 • Ally of the Triple Entente • The last war of the unification

  9. Italy after the WWI

  10. ”Maggio radioso” 1915 • D’Annunzio returned from France to Italy • Joined the interventionists • Speeches • Per la piùgrande Italia • Poems • Cantidellaguerralatina / Asterope

  11. Asterope (1914-1918) • D’Annunzio’s last poems • 23 lyric poems and rhythmic prose • Gli inni sacri della guerra giusta • Canti della guerra latina • In the collection Versi d’amore e di gloria • The Pleiades • Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Merope, Asterope

  12. Asterope • To stress Italy’s participation • Glorification of the war • Public: the Italian middle class • First published in newspapers • ”D’Annunzio Italy’s pseudo official orator” [Isnenghi]

  13. Rhetoric devices • Autoquotations • (Ideological and political) traditions of Italy • Risorgimento, Garibaldi • popular songs • Bible • Ancient Rome

  14. ”L’Ode pour la résurrection latine” • First poem in Asterope • Lyric poem in French of 11 parts, 231 free verses • Le Figaro, August 13, 1914 • Appreciated by French writers • To urge Italy’s participation with France

  15. The ancient Rome • The myth of Rome constantly present in D’Annunzio • From Giosuè Carducci • Justification of nationalistic aspiration

  16. Rome in war propaganda • France and Italy Latin ”sisters” • Elected people • Against the Teutonic barbarians • Two examples in the poem

  17. The horses of the Dioskouri • ”Et j’entends les chevaux des Dioscures hennir.” [v 42]

  18. The goddes Victory • D’Annunzio hears her steps in Ostia • ”ó Vierge, accompagne mon message, affermis ma voix!” [v 84]

  19. The inner enemy • ”intellectual use of war” = war as a remedy for collective and individual pathologies [Isnenghi] • The disappointment with the unification • Collapse of great ideals of Risorgimento • Degradation (corruption) of the political class and misfunction of democracy

  20. D’Annunzio’s first enemy • The inner enemy • ”vêtu d’ignominie et de paix” [vv 74-75] • ”l’astuce et la peur, vaches baveuses, / [qui] ruminaient le mensonge” [vv 78-80] • Italy is: ”Corrompue et pollué par les mains des vieillards” [v 81]

  21. Il Vate • D’Annunzio aspired to become the spiritual leader of Italy • High ideals or narcissisim? Personal cult? • ”cult de moi” Barrès • ”Je suis une offrande d’amour, / je suis un cri vers l’aurore, / je suis un clairon de rescousse / aux lèvres de la race élue.” [vv 18-21]

  22. Austria • Concrete motives for the war: Annexation of the northern and northeast territories to Italy • The war between the elected Latin race and animal Barbary • “Nous sommes les nobles, nous sommes les élus; / et nous écraserons la horde hideuse.” [vv 211-212]

  23. The outer enemy • Traditional connotations of barbary: • Livestock • Sexual orgy • Alcohol abuse • The image of disgust: a vulture vomiting a rotting carcass

  24. The Barbarians • ”La force barbare nous appelle / au combat sans merci. / Comme la horde traînait / dans ses chariots couverts de peaux fraîches / les concubines innombrables / pour les rassasier de carnage / et les enivrer d’hydromel, / ainsi elle [la force barbare] amène toutes les hontes / derrière ses hommes comptés en bétail à deux pieds [livestock on twofeet], / pour qu’ils couchent avec toutes dans leur sang èpaise / qui est le rouge frère de la boue, / tandis que le vautour à deux têtes [vulture, eaglewithtwoheads, symbol of Austria], / le maître puant au double cou dénudé, / pousse son cri lugubre et rejette / la charogne mal digérée.” [vv 133-145]

  25. War as a cosmic experience • Beautiful and horrifying • ”Quelle horreur et quelle mort / et quelle beautés nouvelles / sont partout éparses dans la nuit?” [vv 1-3]

  26. War as a holy harvest • For the rebirth of the Latin race • France after the Prussian war • The recently unified Italy • Agricultural metaphors: • Battle as harvest • ’bread’ as new life • Soldiers as coarse grain in the eastern wind

  27. The holy harvest • ”Car, pour les Latins, c’est l’heure sainte / de la moisson et du combat. O femmes, / prenez les faucilles et moissonnez! / Apprêtez le pain nouveau / à la faim nouvelle! Vos hommes / frapperont fort, serrés comme les épis, / dans la bataille, rang contre rang, / comme les blés drus sous le vent d’est.” [vv 215-222]

  28. Conclusion • What is D’Annunzio’s heritage for the modern war rhetoric?

  29. Thank you!

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