A literatures confront. Poe, Manzoni, Dostoevskij, Byron

Poe

Dostoevskij

Manzoni

Byron

Manzoni: I think that we can begin from a your book, at last I think, but I accept your choose.

Poe: I would begin trough my History of Arthur Gordon Pym, and I would beg…

Dostoevskij: You want begin with nothing and there also finish and stop.

Poe: Why? Do you didn’t like my History?

Dostoevskij: certainly it is very great book, but I have read it two times and I have read about everything but the history I haven’t read; as Picasso that after visited a exposition of Impressionist painters said “I have seen the rain, the clouds and the sun, but the painting lacked”

Poe: Hence Gordon Pym isn’t you preferred.

Dostoevskij: No certainly.

Poe: Why?

Dostoevskij: because it is useless, it doesn’t tells nothing and the plot is very useless.

Poe: Also your Demons is long and boring, or not?

Dostoevskij: Yes, it is very long and boring and much boring.

Poe: But the editor has payed you?

Dostoevskij: Yes, he has payed me because I have written in Dresden, Germany.

Poe: And the editor has payed you.

Dostoevskij: I repeat, yes he has payed me, but why it is interesting for you?

Poe: Because it wasn’t useless, some sake it has had, although boring and long.

Dostoevskij: But the man of literature isn’t for the gain alone…

Poe(shutting up him): We have written for this too, the first was the passion but the passion doesn’t gives the food.

Dostoevskij: Yes but I haven’t begun to write because I have thought of gain, because I am Russian, and in my country very low know read; hence the writer can’t gain trough the romances.

Poe: In fact every man of literature has searched an employ for his matter, and when it wasn’t he has entered to court.

Dostoevskij: You are thinking to Italian Renaissance and we can ask it to Manzoni. Alexander the literature man in Italy have entered to the court?

Manzoni: Certainly, it is enough read the De commodis litterarum atque incommodes, where the author, Leon Battista Alberti, has told about the nobleness of knowledge and the hard life of the man of literature. And he has told about the poverty of men of literature that hasn’t a court.

Poe: Alexander do you like some my book, or do you have same opinion of Fëdor?

Manzoni: My think about your Gordon Pym is same of Fëdor, but the your novel the pendulum is very famous and it merits this success, because it is very involving, it take the interest and it is important for the writer, involve the interest; in fact the long romances are dispersive, and very soon the reader is going to be boring.

Dostoevskij: Do you have written a romance?

Manzoni: Yes, The promise bride and bridegroom.

Poe: And do you have been long?

Manzoni: Sometime yes, but my cultural tradition, and the Italy has very much, has taught to me that the history must be variegated, but a plot must be ever present because the writer, after a digression, he must turn to the principal history, that is fundament of the romance.

Dostoevskij: Inasmuch do you let that are digressions?

Manzoni: Certainly, but these digressions must be after that the writer has told  the principal history, otherwise the reader not understand where is the principal core, that must be explained trough more pages, and after are possible the digressions, but not certainly long, some page is enough. But other hostess is present, George Byron what is your opinion?

Byron: I was thinking to my Childhood memories: “When the slow infirmity with its series of worries freeze the blood in the veins; when the healthy stayed its wings and it escapes for the first breeze of spring, when it occurs not alone the body alone that suffers, but the atrocious tortures oppressive also the soul.

Poe: Very well.

Manzoni: can I ask what is it?

Byron: My Childhood memories!

Manzoni: I believe it but when do you explain it?

Dostoevskij: I have read your Childhood memories; I think that it is alone a poetical try but very modest.

Manzoni: Because that these are the your childhood memories is incomprehensible, may we can intuit, but not from your text.

Byron: It is written to poetical verses.

Manzoni Yes but it lacks the argument, and it is important so that the reader can understand what he is reading. It is important for the reader so that he doesn’t bore.

Poe: But The deformed transformed is rational or not Alexander what do you think?

Manzoni: Yes it is rational.

Byron: Why do you think it?

Manzoni: Because when the ghost appears to the Arnold, that wanted suicide, he says: “If I was the devil, as you believe, one alone moment and the your suicide would have to me soon; but I have stopped you hence I have save you”; it is rational think and I think that it is unique rational tragedy that you have written.

Byron: More than rational it is very sophisticated, because it means, trough the exhibition of souls, of heroes and other, that the man want be somebody that he isn’t; in fact to the following words is the truth: “But you my puppet, you would appear rather than to be a heroes”; it is celebration or appearance. The step when the ghost gone to body of Arnold and he says: “Clay not died, but without soul, although nobody has chosen you, and immortal accepts you…”.

Manzoni: But I don’t see nothing that can be important.

Byron: Instead something of important is present; because it the critic to a English society of 19^th century, the clay is the English man that can be shaped from the society, because his personality isn’t. Other of this tragedy is very low.

Manzoni: I am catholic and I want give to you my compliment for the defense of Catholic elected and your discourse “On the motion of count Donoughmore, and you have defended the Catholic.

Byron: Not precisely I have find the wit of my nation, this is England that is merchant wit hence about religion has disinterest absolute. 

 

Alessandro Lusana

 The political publicity

The memories of a painter, as Francesco Hayez(1791–1882), a Venetian painter that was much famous in Italy has left to us The my memories, that is alone his biography, and some thing can solicit the attention, both for the his art but in this essay for a note that he has told, that shows the validity of same method for two political think, the step of Hayez can help us to understand: “Other impression that has impressed my wit, was in the Maj 1797, this the coming of the soldier of the French Republic, tired dirty and laied in the Saint Mark place. They were alone some thousand. I remember that the presence of those soldiers determined a joy and other were worried…so she wanted stopped in this place for to see the tree of liberty, in the half of place around it the people acclaimed…”; this step is important because shows the acclamation toward a symbol that we has brought the freedom; we think automatically it and we are justified, without a historical reflection that in this case is important or fundamental: the first in Venice never, and stress never, was a dictatorship, Venice was an freedom island that protected the immoral poetry as Pietro Aretino(1492-1556) and Paolo Sarpi(1552-1623), polemical religious that attacked the Church, I mention alone these two cases but Venice was a merchant city, hence very much pragmatic, and for this it was disinterested, in fact after this memory the following step shows the practical wit of Venice: “I remember the departure of French Republican and the arrive of Austrian soldiers”, it is because the Napoleon was given the Venice to Austria through the accord of Campoformio in year 1797; Napoleon was a conquering hence he have to think the first thing to the France, in fact he made it; but important is that the merchant wit of Venice is in this step because that the conquering were French or Austrian it was same thing, because the parochialism emerges from the following words: “I will made the memories of this period through the celebration made in Saint George island, for the election of cardinal Chiaramonti to the papal throne with name of pope Pius 7th(1800-1823); it is can seem a useless step because it is alone a pope, that hasn’t tie to the political publicity, instead it has certainly a tie to political publicity, because the step of Hayez says: “…the celebration made in Saint George island, for the election of cardinal Chiaramonti…”; the celebration are comprehensible because the celebration for the parochialism, Italian typical, we can also consider for the USA citizens for the election of pope Leon 14^th; the parochialism, independent from the believe, is a motive always life; but I want stress other question that here is more important; it is the celebration of a Venetian to papal throne, the comments are: “It is normal”, yes but the same city, this is Venice, had celebrated also the tree of liberty, that excluded the religion in conformity to the ideology of French Revolution; hence the practical wit of Venice has certainly solicited also the presence of citizens that has celebrated the tree of liberty, but I want alone repeat that the method is same for the religion or laicism, both use the same method, hence I think that the celebration could also to be a Satanic holiday the way is same. Important for this essay is the narration of a witness that certainly could see these celebration, but we must also consider that these narrations are also imagined from the Hayez, because during the year 1797, he was 6 year old, hence it is impossible that he in years 1869-1875, years of write of Memories he could remembered the celebration of 72 years before; hence he has asked to somebody about these celebrations or he has imagined all; anyway the method is same and it is important. 

Alessandro Lusana     

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Byron continues

When Jordan had seated and he stared the white fleet, a discouragement involved him, and he raised the eyes and he seen Byron in his room, that looked Jordan, that has said: “I don’t know what write”, and Byron: “Take from your memory, from your reads, from your books and so I am going to correct you”, and Jordan: “Yes, usual you are right, I have thought to the romance Gorky park”, and Byron: “Yes! It is an excellent example, go for it; but you must copy the Gorky park so that I can explain the my the my advisements”, and Jordan took the romance of Smith from his library and he begun the read out loud: “All nights should be so dark, all winters so warm, all headlights so dazzling”, and Jordan: “Until now aren’t errors”, but he stared the eyes of Byron and: “But certainly some error is, hence the humankind is waiting you sentence!”, and Byron after looked around: “Where is the kitchen?” and Jordan pointed at, and Byron got up and he came to kitchen and he gone back with a knife and he asked: “Do you have something for to eat”, and Jordan looked him amazing: “I have…” Byron shut off him and: “A bitch od meat, fro example”, Jordan looked his clock and now, yes but now is the 16 meridian, do you have hangry?”, and Byron: “Yes! Hangry of a writer that is useless”; and Jordan understood the jokey hence: “Why, what I have said so wrong?”, and Byron: “The first where we are now in the romance?”, and Jordan: “In Moscow, it is evident”, and Byron: “Why it is evident?”, and Jordan browsed until the first page: “it is written here”, and Byron: “And the following words in that page what say?”, and Jordan: “Nothing here is alone the name of Moscow”, and Byron: “If a reader not read the name of Moscow on the page that you have read, he doesn’t know where the context, because it could be New York, Rome or Peking, you know it because you have read the name or not?”, and Jordan: “Yes”, and Byron but a reader that hasn’t read this page, doesn’t it; hence the town where the romance carry out is necessary”, and Jordan: “Yes!”, and Byron: After?”, and Jordan: “In this town all the nights should be so dark…”, and Byron: “In every town the nights are dark, otherwise they would not be nights”, and Jordan: “All winters so warm…”, and Byron shut up him: “In Moscow never has been a warm winter”, and Jordan: “All headlights so dazzling.”; and Byron: “Learn! What are the headlights, and what is the source of these?”, Byron stared  Jordan and he was waiting the answer, and Jordan read again the line and: “It isn’t here”, and Byron: “The headlights of cars or other?”, and Jordan: “it isn’t here”, and Byron: “What environment? Apartment or a basin? A palace? A hut?”, and he stared Jordan that answered: “I don’t know because here…”, Byron shut up him: “Here isn’t. These are errors that you are not to make never. The reader must know where is the environment, this city, or nation or continent, second the illogic warm winter, it means that in this town is sirocco, the warm winter is the sirocco, but after he speaks and he said that van Jacked, stalled and quit on a drift; this drift is snow or leafs”, and Jordan: “It is important?” and Byron: “Certainly because with sirocco it’s impossible that snows, and further he in describe of militia man mentioned a greatcoats, hence the temperature is low, but the sirocco with low temperature is impossible. It is the lesson because to particulars that you have mentioned before are important for the reality of history and the logic of history. Inasmuch now I think that you have learned something, continue alone.”, and he got up and disappeared.

Alessandro Lusana  

                    

 A romance: Byron has said

Jordan was a writer, historical writer, and he wanted write a romance, but as historic man he had difficult, because he could tell the history but the romance was other matter, he has thought of write a romance on the Charles 5^th, and after the Charles the Great, and Louis 14^th, but he thought them as historical man, hence he have to pass from the historical truth to imaginary, and this passage was very difficult; he was very acute for the hypothesize the true motive for a war and the political motives for an accord or pact; naturally he supposed but these think or hypothesizes were very charming, because much read were charmed from his read of history; but now the romance, was different because everything he have to imagine; he thought immediately to a historical romance, and it seems the right choose, in fact he begun to write something, but almost at once he reconsidered his choose, and he decided, that before of all a tea, to drink in the bar under his apartment; he gone out and in the bar, where he was usual, he greeted the bar man, and he seated on the chair and he asked a tea; he stared at the bar man and he was amazed because he recognize Charles 5^th, and not George, the bar man, he thought that it was alone a illusion, hence he turned over and he seen some famous writer, Poe and Byron and Mary Shelley, Byron was reading a book; inasmuch Jordan approached to him and asked: “What is the deal for to write a romance?”, and Byron stared at him and : “A romance is as a build, every part is indispensable, it is a history and you must describe every personage, also summary, but some indication to reader you must give because otherwise the reader doesn’t understand, he is going to ask who is and why is present a personage, he is going to ask it alone indirectly , but the reader isn’t a foolish and he has read the history whereby he want know who and why; hence the question is “Who is this personage and because he has disappeared so suddenly, because you have given the life to this personage and now isn’t?”; because every personage that is in the romance, the first must be much present, this is to some episode, also low relevant but he must participate, so that the reader can understand the motive of this personage, and the episode, also irrelevant, becomes here important, but he can’t appear now and after two lines he disappears, because otherwise his presence would be useless, instead he must be in the romance, also in other episode distant form the begin; but the reader know him because he can take again, in his memory, that personage is tied to that episode”, and Jordan asked: “Yes, but the particulars are important or not?”, and Byron: “Certainly they are important, but as a build, the cement is important if it is going to use, otherwise not; the history demands particulars that must be important, otherwise they are alone useless episode, instead to this episode must be tie a personage and other episode that shows the qualities of personage, after the description, the human and other qualities”, and Jordan: “Why?”, and Byron, that meanwhile has asked two tea: “Because the romance needs of a motive, and the personages must have a motive for to be in the romance; otherwise they are useless, and in the romance nothing can ne useless”; Jordan got up and he gone to the bathroom, and when he gone out, he looked around and recognized his apartment, and he smiled and seated on the chair, and he, while remembered the words of Byron, begun to write and the romance again isn’t ended, but may in the next tale its possible that he tell to us the novel plot.

Alessandro Lusana          

                

 The Hegelian concept of art: Emerson

Ralph Emerson(1803-1882) has took again Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)fore his conception of morality that was determined from a morality that has involved also Nietzsche in his German society, the years of Belle Epoque, when the middle class was very principal factor of economy in Europe, and in nascent country, after the “revolution”, as the United States the same phenomenal was by now normal and determined; hence the two philosophers have had same reaction, Emerson was more precise in confront to Nietzsche because he explain, in his book The character and the human life, explication more precise and very much attentive, evidently he used the speculative method and he has not officially imposed, but in conformity to moral customs it was present; we must also consider that the reaction was the same because the middle class, very active in the merchant and business also in USA, has followed determined customs that were peer to the middle class of Europe, but behind this hypocrites moralism and respectability, was the growth of a country that hasn’t the owner models hence followed other models, as Emerson has followed both Nietzsche and for his think about the art has followed Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) of Aesthetic, a step of the book of Emerson is indicative of this concept: “The with being progressive it never repeats itself, but to every act it tries the creation of a all new or beauty. It is manifest both for the works of beauty art, and in the useful art, for to use the popular distinction among the arts, that classified it on base to sake. In the beautiful art isn’t the imitation but the creation that is the sake”; it is the absolute wit of Hegel that in the Aesthetic is dominant, Hegel was also involved from the idealist wit and Emerson has followed the same conception, because he has expressed through other words the same concept; for Hegel the useful of art isn’t, instead for Emerson that has took the common scansion among the arts, this is useful and beauty, he has took Hegel and he has limited the presence of German philosopher to the beauty arts, and he continued with his hide Hegelianism: “In the landscape the painter must suggest to us the idea of a creation more beauty…”; it is the pure idealism of Hegel that in the Romantic art, this is the painter of 19^th century, he says that the image is the tool for the absolute spirit, this the knowledge of absolute spirit, that alone in the Romantic art can recognizes itself; inasmuch of Emerson is: “in the landscape the painter must suggest to us the creation more beauty…”; it is the Hegelian idealism in the Aesthetic, the spirit that can recognizes itself in the Romantic art; we must also consider that although the two philosophers not were contemporary but they lived the same romantic moment and they has took the same spirit, this is the opinion, the in 19^th century was dominant; thereby Emerson has followed the German culture, for a side he has took Nietzsche and for other side he has took Hegel.

Alessandro Lusana                

 

        

 

Historical superficiality: Burckhardt

Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897) a Swiss historical man, famous for his book The civility of Renaissance in Italy, has given an interpretation of Renaissance in Italy, that very much generations have read much times, and it is certainly right, but also superficial; the first is that he spoke  and named the lords of city as tyrant, that in Greek meaning is a correspondent of manager of public things, hence the city or feud; I don’t think that Burckhardt has used this name for this sense, he wanted meant the more common meaning, so that he could stress the Renaissance change. The “tyrant” have to contrast the attacks from every side, because then Italian cities that have had fought sometime one against other, they become friends very soon and allies in conformity of political strategy, both then as today; in fact the taxes that Burckhardt  has written, were necessary to weapon and soldiers, that could betray to every moment  for a better offer; the shame of betray then there wasn’t; also because the major part of soldiers were mercenary ; inasmuch it isn’t tyranny but simple survival. The taxes were, in opinion of Burckhardt  established on the a land register, that in Middle age there wasn’t , and the major incomes was for the proprieties of lords, that were necessary to given the food to citizens that were in war, but in the city, the families of soldiers busied have to be feed, this are childes and women, that the lords have to rescue to his castle, hence the food was necessary to this duty that was alone of lord; there the taxes not paid alone the soldiers but also the common people. Other note of Burckhardt regard the office of passport, this is the pass, that today is same, this is the passport is controlled , but the difference from the Middle age today the nations are united, instead the Italy then was a gather of small states without strong; Burckhardt uses this confront for stress that then the control on the citizen was very close, but also today every state want know who is received, and the motive is same : the security of the State; it is normal management of policy. The legends are took by Burckhardt , the legendries that he has took from historical men, and they has took it from other sources that often were enemy to lords; as Bernabò Visconti(1323-1385); that was a lover of hunting and he has had  5.000 dogs, it is absolutely false, because 5.000 dogs would be impossible to keep and they would been useless, because the hunting would be in Italy and not in Africa. The celebration of Renaissance begins in chapter about the tyranny in 15th century; when the tyranny has had a human  character; a power that has consolidated on the tyranny it continues so fro keep the power; but if Burckhardt has said the celebration of Renaissance so would be failed everything.

Alessandro Lusana      

 

         

 Aristotelian Catholic: Gioberti

Vincenzo Gioberti(1801-1852)a Catholic intellectual and political man that has tied his name to the principal literary work, The moral and civil primate of Italian, that is a catalog of virtue that he has seen during the history of Italy, that certainly were but that haven’t guaranteed nothing to unification of Italy, in 1861. He spoke as Catholic and in fact he sees to God the principal motive of this primate; We must also consider that he was a monk, and he has followed the religious schools, hence the philosophy in his Primate can’t lacks; in fact he spoke about the autonomy of creatures: “Although the creatures can joy of relative autonomy, as the second cause is image of the first cause…”; and he following: “Everything id a strength, and every force enclose potentially every way of to be and every perfecting that to it are going to be present, through the duration of time, and the external condition for their improvement. The potency is given from the first cause and that has created…”; this discourse has the Aristotelian rationality, and Gioberti used this comparison for stress that God has given to Italian qualities that during the centuries have developed; certainly, and it isn’t nationalism, the Italy has had great geniuses during his history, but because the Italy is born before, except the Greek, of other European nations, inasmuch we has had very much time, and other historical factors, as the Catholic center, as Rome, that has guaranteed to much intellectuals a constant possibility of live; beyond the lords that has got profit of intellectuals in every side of Italy. Anyway it is I repeat a logic step of Aristotle(b.Ch.384-322) , that has useful for demonstrate the Primate of Italian, laughable Primate, because the our history is very full also of treason, that Gioberti hasn’t considered; it is the opportunism or intellectual dishonesty? For me dishonesty and stop, for a historical man can be alone opportunism. The Aristotelian influence is fro the adjective that Gioberti used in this step and for other before: “…and as the first cause are also the second cause and so we must admit a secondary creation that express the action of factors finished…”; this last adjective is took directly from the τέλειος, this the ended act of Aristotle. The Aristotelian logic is present also in this step, and this step attests the employ of Gioberti of natural logic of Aristotle: “…because the production without the conservation would be useless. And the conservation uses the restoration, when it is necessary; that is a second creation, as the conservative action is a continued creation…”; it is the philosophical think that has unified the Aristotelian and Socratic logic and has used for explication. The Catholic nature or think of Gioberti is in the following step: “Only God, as the first cause and essentially creator, he is the perfect conservator and restorer of his factures. He has given a part of this qualities to the creatures…”. Hence Gioberti has took from Aristotelian and Socratic logic, and he hasn’t forgotten Saint Thomas from Acquino(1225-1274), although the logic is alone Pagan, this from two Socrates(b.Ch.469-399) and Aristotle.

Alessandro Lusana