The romantic concept of "Infinity" in Giacomo Leopardi’s thought and poetry

Abstract

In Giacomo Leopardi, who is considered the greatest romantic Italian poet, the characteristics of peninsular Romanticism reach the highest level of theoretical and philosophical reflection and of poetical results. He makes of the concept of Infinity, the real protagonist of romantic universe, the central crux of his thought and of his poetry. Moving from the abstract rigors of a mathematical idea of space and time he compares it to indefinite, imprecise fluctuations of the feelings. And, as a poet, he invokes the indefinite as an indispensable poetic element and unique form of infinity you can reach. In the Zibaldone and in his most beautiful and famous lyric poem, "L’Infinito", that belongs to the little Idylls, both terms, Infinity and Finity, build an indivisible couple. Leopardi, theorist and poet of Infinity, critic of his time modernity and at the same time his sublime bard, shows himself not only as a careful interpreter of his time but even of our time, entering with his thought into the deepest roots and into the uneasiness of our modernity.