- Presented by Professor John Alcorn
- Ashley Building, Room 322
- Wednesday 21 November 2012 at 14.00
Professor Alcorn writes: "Giacomo Leopardi's short autobiographical poem, L'infinito (The Infinite) is a gem of art and insight. A close narrative analysis of an exceptionally intense, idiosyncratic experience of aesthetic emotions, the poem strikes a chord with every student. My lecture offers a fresh interpretation of L'infinito, one that reveals the poem's implicit model of the psychology of aesthetic experience. My lecture identifies also the poetic techniques by which Leopardi integrates art and insight."
John Alcorn is Principal Lecturer in Italian Studies at Trinity College, Connecticut and programme director, Cesare Barbieri Endowment for Italian Culture. His essays relating to Leopardi's poetry and to the Zibaldone di pensieri have appeared in MLN, The Modern Language Review, Italica, and La rassegna della letteratura italiana.