L'infinito by Leopardi: An Exploration of Romanticism, Infinity

This essay delves into Giacomo Leopardi's poem 'L'infinito,' exploring themes of romanticism, enlightenment, and the concept of infinity. It argues that the poem is primarily rooted in romanticism, highlighting Leopardi's focus on nature, emotion, and individual experience, contrasting it with the principles of scientific rationalism associated with the Enlightenment. The analysis covers the poem's structure, language, and imagery, emphasizing the poet's personal sentiments and longing for connection with the natural world. The essay examines how Leopardi's contemplation of infinity is intertwined with his feelings of solitude and mortality, ultimately concluding that 'L'infinito' is a testament to the power of romantic expression and its capacity to evoke profound emotional responses.

Running head: ENGLISH LITERATURE
English Literature
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH LITERATURE
Introduction
The aim of the following essay is to develop an argument around the ideas of infinity
around the poem L’infinito by the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi. Tbe poem had been written by
Leopardi in the year 1819 in the time of autumn. The main theme of the poem is to discuss about
the things that Leopardi had experienced when he had set out to travel the whole world after
moving out from his home town of Renacati in Italy. He had gained a better idea about the world
after he set his foot out of his home town (Cauchi-Santoro: 119).
The topics of enlightenment of his vision about the rest of the world and the aspects of
romanticism have been displayed in this world. The composition style of the poem is ethereal. A
sense of the mortality has been discussed in this poem as well. The theme of romanticism has
also been highlighted in this poem as well. In this essay, this fact of the romanticism and the
thoughts of dying of the seasons and his thoughts becoming obscure because his belief was his
life would cut down very shortly (Camilletti: 57). This had been one of the main themes of the
poem L’infinito and these factors will be examined in the following sections.
Romanticism in L’infinito
The aspects of the classical romanticism are quite different from the ones that the people
think in this world. The depiction of the natural beauty has been one of the most important
factors that can be considered to be romanticism. The fragmentary concepts have not been that
much in this poem as per the critics (Singh: 178). However on the contrary Cauchi-Santoro (119)
has said the contemporary fragmentary discourse has been a major component in writing down
the poem. The list form in which this poem has been written had been adopted by the
contemporary poets of Leopardi (Casaliggi and Porscha: 267). The structure of the poem is quite
repetitive and it has a connection with the sublimation of mathematics as well. The tools for
articulation of the poem had been quite effable in some means or the other. These tools had been
used in the traditional senses as well (Brose: 47).
The fragmentary and ellipsis sections have encouraged the Romantics and thinkers of
Enlightenment that this belongs to the romantic genre. The thoughts presented about the
beautiful nature reminds of the romantic themes used by poets like Wordsworth, Shelley and
other stalwarts of the romantic era (Singh: 178). The connection between the fragments as used

2ENGLISH LITERATURE
Samuel Taylor Coleridge and its connection with the supernatural world can be achieved by
linking the external world with that of the internal. Apart from that internal equilibrium and the
recovery of the fragmentary language is also very essential for the romantic elements in the
poem. In the words of Cauchi-Santoro (119), the use of classical and romantic elements in this
poem L’infinito is much subversive. The repetitive mentioning of the ‘solitary hill’ depicts his
own solitariness within the world. The language used in the poem L’infinito is very much simple
and lucid. Therefore, it attracts the attention of the readers as well. The mention of ‘peace’ and
‘silence’ reminds the readers of the supernatural existence within the poem that is reverberated.
Some critics like Camilletti and Paola (467) have explained this fact in a manner that
Leopardi thought that the expression of joy is only a thing that could be considered as a
momentary relief from the feeling of pain. Generally there are three segments of the poem that
should be focused and given the utmost stress on. The first is on the verbal crux. This portion has
been very important for the development of the poem because it has prevented the poem from
being translated into English properly. The second section is that of the wind being transformed
into the tidal waves. The third factor of the poem is drowning or the shipwreck in the final verses
of the poem. Some critics like Brose (47) have also argued that this poem L’infinito is not
perfectly about the remembrance of ‘solitary hill ‘or anything else in general. Therefore, they
have not supported the idea that this poem is a poem of enlightenment or romanticism (Biasin:
89). The harmony of sounds is indeed a very important concept in the porm L’infinito.
Enlightenment in L’infinito
The concept of the enlightenment is indeed a very crucial factor in the poem L’infinito.
The different ideas and activities in the poem have led to the enlightenment of the readers as well
as of the poet (Camilletti and Paola: 467). One of the main concepts in enlightenment is that of
the scientific rationalism. The crux of grammar has been one of the most crucial aspects for the
discussion on the poem. The poem is mainly written in the blank verse and it has been subjected
to the genre of romantic poem by numerous critics because of the presence of the praise for the
nature in various ways indeed (Biasin: 89).
Giacomo Leopardi had been considered as the very first modern Italian classic poet. He
has always been highly regarded and revered all around the world for this poem. The amazing

3ENGLISH LITERATURE
simplicity in the poem has really been important for the better understanding of the readers. The
pain he had witnessed during his life because of his sickness had led him to explore the most
beautiful elements of nature (Casaliggi and Porscha: 267). He saw the nature from inside his
house as he was unable to go outside of the walls. This is why the poet was so suffering from the
pain of solitude. This had been immensely painful for him since he wanted to live the happy life
where he could enjoy the nature’s beauties (Camilletti and Paola: 467).
He wanted to discover the world and explore the nature perfectly by travelling. Travelling
seemed to him the only means by which he could gain knowledge about the outside world
(Hulliung: 47). In this poem he called himself as an ‘idillo’ that means he was an idyll. The
serene beauty of nature had been portrayed in this poem and the peacefulness of nature had been
so beautifully presented through this poem (Boyson: 38). The vastness of the nature has been
compared to the sea in this poem and this is a direct connection with the romanticism in the
poem.
The calm and silence are very closely related in terms of the peace in the mind of the
poet. The rules and laws other than that of life and death are related to the enlightenment and
scientific rationalism. According to (Rebay (89), the final two verses of the poem are mainly full
of sorrow and his reflections on his feelings as he could not travel the world. These verses are
mainly the mixture of the beauty and sorrow in his thoughts. In the final verse the author sinks
down into the deep thoughts of sorrow and he has to drift away from the vast sea of happiness of
exploring the new world (Ginsborg: 18).
Idea of infinity in L’infinito
The idea of infinity has been one of the main aspects of the poem L’infinito by Giacomo
Leopardi. The Leopardian vento has been one of the most important factors to understand the
theme of infinity since the issue of vento being a nature’s product is concerned. The matter of
infinity of Leopardi is very closely related notion of geology about the ‘deep time’. This concept
had come into light in the year 1788 in the Royal Society when James Hutton delivered a speech
on this context (Casaliggi: 367). The traditional view of the supernatural things in the L’infinito
has been portrayed that has no end and the natural phenomenon should be accumulated with this

4ENGLISH LITERATURE
setting indeed. This poem has some classical associations with the Biblical chronology regarding
the creation and destruction of the earth (Beers: 90).
There is much uniqueness in the poem and the beginning of the earth has also been
narrated to somewhat level. The context of discontinuity has firmly established in this poem
L’infinito (Wu: 73) This discontinuity has been presented through the materialistic way in the
first four lines of the poem very effectively. On the contrary, the material continuity of the poem
has been established properly in the last few lines of the poem (Casaliggi: 367). The challenges
Leopardi has faced all his life regarding romantic ideals include the elements of subjectivity and
nature. These notions are still very much in practice in this day as well. The illusion and
romanticism in the poetry have been very closely attached notions over the time. Some socio-
cultural models are very useful in this context of understanding of the romanticism in poetry
(Boyson: 38). The contexts of romanticism are very crucial factors for looking at the process in
an overall manner. Leopardi, through his poem, has shown that the strong and sorrowful
emotions of the poetry has transformed the ethereal power of the readers.
Though some people have opined this poem to be an element of the enlightenment, it is
completely a work based on romanticism. It is because the works based on enlightenment are
mainly the works on the scientific rationalism (Wu: 73). The depiction of the unending infinity
about the brilliance of nature is not the general subject matter of enlightenment. It is completely
opposite to the elements of the enlightenment. The facts of reason have not been given the
central focus in this poem (Beers: 90). Rather, Leopardi has described the poem by defining the
nature and its overall influence in his life. He has followed the classical tradition of the romantic
poets and used the fragmentary ideas where he has used the words like ‘solitary hill’ and
‘horizon’, ‘eternal silence’ to make the readers understand that he longs for travelling to the
several regions of the world where he could experience the essence of life and then travel to
world of eternal silence or the Abode of God (Honour: 47).
Thus the poet Leopardi has subjected himself to his consciousness and memories. These
memories are primarily his imaginings which he has been thinking about all his life. The focus
has always been on the individual self i.e. the poet and his sentiments (Hulliung: 47). These
sentiments are based his portrayal of nature. His longing for death has always been captured by
the words ‘eternal silence’. This assumes the fact that the audience of the will never look at this

5ENGLISH LITERATURE
poem as a poem of enlightenment. It is only because the poem has brought out the sorrowful
emotions in the last lines of the poem (Honour: 47). The intensity of the poem is very high and
individuality of the poem Leopardi has been discussed in this poem. The issues of reason have
not been given that much priority indeed. It is only appropriate that the context of infinity can be
true in romanticism because scientific rationalism or enlightenment will not support the idea of
exploration of nature (Ginsborg: 65).
Conclusion
On a concluding note, it should be mentioned that the poem L’infinito by Leopardi is
considered as one of the best poets during that time since poetic aspects regarding romanticism
have been depicted highly. The two facts romanticism and enlightenment are mainly two
opposite viewpoints. This poem has been based on the memories of the poet. The aspect of
romanticism is much associated with this poem since the sorrowful emotions have been given in
this poem. The poem L’infinito is one of the earliest documents in the literature where the aspect
of enlightenment is not that much encouraged. This is why the sentiments of the poet are very
crucial for the understanding of the text. The intensity of the expressions is very high and
expressions of the poet reveal that the poet is very much sad because of inability to travel the
world and enjoy the beauty of nature. This is why the aspects of romanticism have been noted in
the poem highly indeed.

6ENGLISH LITERATURE
References
Beers, Henry A. A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century (Routledge
Revivals). Routledge, 2015.
Berlin, Isaiah. The roots of romanticism. Vol. 179. Princeton University Press, 2013.
Biasin, Gian-Paolo. Italian Literary Icons. Vol. 22. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Boyson, Rowan. The Poetic Enlightenment: Poetry and Human Science, 1650–1820. Routledge,
2015.
Brose, Margaret. "Leopardi and the Power of Sound." California Italian Studies 4.1 (2013).
Camilletti, Fabio A. Classicism and Romanticism in Italian Literature: Leopardi's Discourse on
Romantic Poetry. Routledge, 2015.
Camilletti, Fabio, and Paola Cori. Ten steps. Critical inquiries on Leopardi. Vol. 23. Peter Lang
Ltd, International Academic Publishers, 2015.
Casaliggi, Carmen, and Paul March-Russell, eds. Legacies of Romanticism: Literature, Culture,
Aesthetics. Vol. 17. Routledge, 2012.
Casaliggi, Carmen, and Porscha Fermanis. Romanticism: A Literary and Cultural History.
Routledge, 2016.
Cauchi-Santoro, Roberta. "ON DARK LAUGHTER: LEOPARDI'S AND BECKETT'S
HUMOUR." Quaderni di Italianistica 33 (2012): 119-131.
Ginsborg, Paul. "European Romanticism and the Italian Risorgimento." The Risorgimento
Revisited. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2012. 18-36.
Honour, Hugh. Romanticism. Routledge, 2018.
Hulliung, Mark. The Autocritique of Enlightenment: Rousseau and the philosophes. Routledge,
2017.
Rebay, Luciano, ed. Introduction to Italian Poetry: A Dual-Language Book. Courier
Corporation, 2012.

7ENGLISH LITERATURE
Singh, Ghan. Leopardi and the Theory of Poetry. University Press of Kentucky, 2015.
Wu, Duncan, ed. Romanticism: an anthology. Vol. 5. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.