Annunzio

ANNUNZIO, in-noon'tze-6, Gabriel d', Italian novelist, dramatist and poet: b. Franca villa, a small fishing village on the Adriatic, in 1864. He' was educated at the Collegio Cicog nini, Prato (Tuscany), and the University of Rome. At the age of 15, while still in the, former school, he wrote (Cincinnato,) his first story, for which the editor of the Fanfulla delta Domenico paid him 50 francs. So struck was he with the evident talent of the boy that he visited him at college, praised his work be fore the assembled pupils of the school and prophesied that he would make for himself one of the greatest names in Italy. This visit had much to do with shaping D'Annunzio's life. From that moment he determined to devote himself to literature. It became to him a pas sion, the one aim of his life. He continued to write stories that were accepted by the press; and while at Prado he composed an ode,

The publication of his first volume of poems in 1880 made a reputation for D'Annunzio as the most promising of the younger Italian poets. and

added to these and (L' 'sone& (1886). When he left the university he became a journalist and contributed largely to the literary columns of the press of the capitaL In his (Confessiones' he states that the first 33 years of his life had passed before he had mastered the art of writing with facility and that, during this literary period of 18 years, he was never able to settle down to one certain style but was constantly vacillating between the many literary claimants upon his attention. In the midst of this active journalistic life he pro duced (E.legie roman& and (Poema para disiaco.) Then followed a period of still greater literary activity and the production of work of a still superior quality. His first novel strongly influenced by the French school of his day, appeared in 1889, and was followed by a series of novels as remarkable for their style, vivid word painting and analysis of character as anything in Italian literature. These include (L'innocente> (1891); Episcopo' (1892) • powerful but gruesome stories influenced by the Russian school then popular in Italy; Trionfo della Morte' (1894), a clever psychological study; Vir gini delle rocci) (1896) ; and (1897). The latter, a success of scandal ,x' a powerful story, in its way, brought its author more notoriety than genuine appreciation and thus, like Carducci, he acquired a reputation for literary unwholesomeness which he long failed to live down.

Tiring of novel writing and smarting under the whip of the critics, he turned again to poetry, which he had not altogether neglected, and begun the a series of lyrical poems in praise of the sky, the earth, the sea and great heroes. In these, which it was his intention to complete in seven books, his art showed such im provement that his new poetic effort was received with great enthusiasm throughout Italy and, the French reviewers singing his praise, he awoke to find himself an international character.