Giacomo Leopardi: Poems Background

Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi was a famous Italian poet and philosopher, of the nineteenth century.

He was brought up in a privileged aristocratic family in the small town of Recanati in Italy. Having been born during the period of the French Revolution, Leopardi endured the political repercussions of the time. Moreover, he was often a sick child and as such, would often be housebound – this led to a love of learning and literature, as he would often spend his days exploring his home library.

Leopardi spent years at his family home writing his poetry, such as ‘The Approach of Death’, Hymn to Neptune’ and ‘Songs’. His work was highly reflective of the literary principles of romanticism and was a key figure in the Enlightenment period, often covering themes of patriotism and unrequited love.