Book excerpt: Regarded as the greatest Italian poet of the nineteenth century, Giacomo Leopardi was also a noted philosopher, essayist and philologist. A principal figure of Romanticism, Leopardi wrote poems that reveal a constant and sensitive reflection on existence and the human condition, characterised by a sensuous and materialist inspiration. Leopardi is widely seen as one of the most radical and challenging thinkers of his time, who produced a unique poetic body of lyrical works, confirming his status as a central figure of world literature. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature’s finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents Leopardi’s collected works, with related illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Leopardi’s life and works * Concise introduction to Leopardi’s life and poetry * Two translations of Leopardi’s seminal collection of poems, ‘I Canti’. (Frederick Townsend, 1887 and Francis Henry Cliffe, 1893) * Includes the 1835 Italian text of ‘I Canti’ — ideal for students * Images of how the poetry books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the poems * Easily locate the poems you want to read * Includes Leopardi’s prose works — Charles Edwardes’ translation of ‘Operette morali’, an important collection of dialogues and essays * Features a bonus biography * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to see our wide range of poet titles CONTENTS: The Life and Poetry of Giacomo Leopardi Brief Introduction: Giacomo Leopardi by William Dean Howells I Canti — Frederick Townsend translation, 1887 I Canti — Francis Henry Cliffe translation, 1893 I Canti — Original Italian Text, 1835 The Prose Essays and Dialogues (Translated by Charles Edwardes) The Biography Life of Leopardi by Francis Henry Cliffe Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of poetry titles or buy the entire Delphi Poets Series as a Super Set