Vittorio Roda

Riflessioni sul Carducci ‘ferroviario’

Introduction

Riflessioni sul carducci ‘ferroviario’. Analisi del "treno" nell'opera di Carducci: da simbolo di progresso (A Satana) a metafora di inquietudine esistenziale e autobiografica (Alla stazione).

Abstract

Giosue Carducci non manifesta, nella sua immensa produzione in poesia ed in prosa, un particolare interesse per le conquiste della tecnica moderna. Unica eccezione il treno, la più appariscente e inquietante delle conquiste accennate e come tale quella che più popola di sé la letteratura europea del diciannovesimo secolo. I treni carducciani, occorre subito precisare, non rimandano a un’unica tipologia. Nel giovanile inno A Satana prevale un trattamento della locomotiva di tipo ideologico, che ne fa, come in non pochi scrittori ottocenteschi, il simbolo della modernità e del progresso. Altra cosa quel che si incontra in alcune liriche meno datate, dove la nota dominante non è di tipo ideologico ma esistenziale, legata com’è non all’utilità o meno del nuovo mezzo di trasporto, o ad altri problemi di natura pratica e socio-economica, ma all’autobiografia dell’artista, alla sua inquieta e problematica esistenza. Memorabile, su questo fronte, un testo come Alla stazione in una mattina d’autunno, dove il treno che allontana Lidia da Carducci sembra spezzare irreparabilmente tanto il vissuto del poeta quanto quello della donna che gli è cara. 

Review

The article, "Riflessioni sul Carducci ‘ferroviario’," offers a focused and nuanced examination of Giosue Carducci’s engagement with modern technology, specifically through the motif of the train. The abstract establishes an intriguing premise: while Carducci's extensive literary output generally shows little interest in contemporary technical advancements, the train emerges as a singular exception, mirroring its pervasive presence in 19th-century European literature. The core argument developed by the author is that Carducci's treatment of the train is not monolithic, but rather encompasses distinct typologies across his vast poetic and prosaic works. The author adeptly distinguishes between two primary modes of depicting the train in Carducci's writing. In earlier works, exemplified by the youthful hymn "A Satana," the locomotive is presented ideologically, functioning as a potent symbol of modernity and progress – a common trope among his contemporaries. However, the analysis highlights a significant evolution in later lyrics, where the emphasis shifts from an ideological stance to an existential and autobiographical one. Here, the train's importance transcends its practical utility or socio-economic impact, becoming intimately linked to the poet's own "inquiet and problematic existence." A key instance cited is "Alla stazione in una mattina d’autunno," where the train’s departure, taking Lidia away, signifies an irreparable rupture in the lived experience of both the poet and his beloved. This article appears to provide a valuable contribution to Carducci studies by challenging a potentially simplistic view of his relationship with modernism. By meticulously delineating the ideological and existential dimensions of the train motif, the author reveals a more complex and deeply personal interaction with technological change than might otherwise be assumed. The emphasis on specific textual examples, particularly "Alla stazione in una mattina d’autunno," suggests a thorough close reading that illuminates how Carducci channeled his personal anxieties and experiences through powerful contemporary symbols. This analysis will undoubtedly be of interest to scholars examining the intersections of literary modernism, technological progress, and individual subjectivity in 19th-century Italian literature.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.