Trilussa
Encyclopedia
Carlo Alberto Salustri was an Italian dialect poet, better known by his pen name of Trilussa (an anagram
of “Salustri”). He is best known for the poems, some of them sonnet
s, written in the dialect of Rome
.
Trilussa lived a very poor childhood, as his father had died when he was only three years old. After irregular studies, he made a very early poetical debut in 1887
on the Rugantino magazine directed by Alfredo Zanazzo. Later he wrote also for Don Chisciotte, Capitan Fracassa, Il Messaggero
and Il Travaso delle idee. His first collection, Le stelle de Roma ("Rome's Stars"), is from 1889
Trilussa's fame grew in the 1920s and 1930s, though he was not a part of any literary circle, preferring to be in the streets and taverns, which were the source of his inspiration. His poetry features the petite bourgeoisie
of Rome: the housewife, the store clerk, the servant, but also contain strong satirical denounces against governments and the vices of rich people. Some of the sonnets are Aesop
-like moralistic fables. Trilussa's own sketches and drawings were featured alongside his poetry.
A very popular person in his city and Italy, Trilussa was named Life Senator
on December 1, 1950, by the Italian President Luigi Einaudi
. He died twenty days later.
In the work known as Illustrissimi
, a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I
when he was Patriarch of Venice
, Trilussa is one of the recipients of the letters.
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of “Salustri”). He is best known for the poems, some of them sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
s, written in the dialect of Rome
Romanesco
Romanesco or Romanesque is a regional language or sociolect subsumed within the Italian language spoken in Rome. It is part of the Central Italian dialects and is thus genetically closer to the Tuscan dialect and Standard Italian....
.
Biography
1887 in literature
The year 1887 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Futabatei Shimei writes The Drifting Cloud, the first modern novel in Japan.-New books:*Mary Elizabeth Braddon - Cut by the County*Hall Caine - The Deemster...
on the Rugantino magazine directed by Alfredo Zanazzo. Later he wrote also for Don Chisciotte, Capitan Fracassa, Il Messaggero
Il Messaggero
Il Messaggero is an Italian newspaper based in Rome, Italy, founded in 1878.It is owned by the Italian publishing company Caltagirone Editore, and its leaders include Azzurra Caltagirone, the partner of the political leader Pierferdinando Casini, on its board...
and Il Travaso delle idee. His first collection, Le stelle de Roma ("Rome's Stars"), is from 1889
Trilussa's fame grew in the 1920s and 1930s, though he was not a part of any literary circle, preferring to be in the streets and taverns, which were the source of his inspiration. His poetry features the petite bourgeoisie
Petite bourgeoisie
Petit-bourgeois or petty bourgeois is a term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
of Rome: the housewife, the store clerk, the servant, but also contain strong satirical denounces against governments and the vices of rich people. Some of the sonnets are Aesop
Aesop
Aesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
-like moralistic fables. Trilussa's own sketches and drawings were featured alongside his poetry.
A very popular person in his city and Italy, Trilussa was named Life Senator
Senator for life
A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , 7 Italian Senators out of 322, 4 out of the 47 Burundian Senators and all members of the British House of Lords have lifetime tenure...
on December 1, 1950, by the Italian President Luigi Einaudi
Luigi Einaudi
Luigi Einaudi , Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorato di Gran Cordone OMRI was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the second President of the Italian Republic between 1948 and 1955.-Early life:...
. He died twenty days later.
In the work known as Illustrissimi
Illustrissimi
Illustrissimi or To the Illustrious Ones, are a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I when he was Patriarch of Venice. The letters were originally published in the Italian Christian paper 'Messaggero di S. Antonio' between 1972 and 1975, and published in book form in 1976...
, a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
when he was Patriarch of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Trilussa is one of the recipients of the letters.
Selected bibliography
- Le stelle de Roma (1889)
- Quaranta sonetti (1895)
- Favole romanesche (1900)
- Caffè-concerto (1901)
- Er serrajo (1903)
- Ommini e bestie (1908)
- Le storie (1915)
- Lupi e agnelli (1919)
- Le cose (1922)
- La gente (1927)
Sources
- Short Bio (with Trilussa’s sketches)
- Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense exposition
- Trilussa Poems