CARDUCCI, kar-doo'clie, Giosue, Italian poet: b. Valdicastello, Tuscany, 27 July 1835; d. Bologna, 15 Feb. 1907. During his boyhood, which was spent in Tuscany, his father, a dis sipated, hot-headed doctor, was his only teacher. An ardent admirer of Manzoni, Latin literature and the French Revolution, he in spired his son with his own love of literature, thus giving him early those ideas and senti ments that were, later on, to make him one of the great leaders of his country, and the most distinctive Italian innovator in literature of all time. 'I Promessi Sposi' the boy read and re-read until the characters of Manzoni's great work became living, breathing human beings to his vivid boyish imagination. 'Geru salemme Liberata,) Rollin's 'History of Rome,) Thiers' 'History of France,) the (Iliad) and the (lEneid) were also his constant compan ions. In 1849 Dr. Carducci, owing to his revo lutionary sympathies, was forced to take refuge in Florence, together with his family; and there Giosue was sent to school, where he proved an excellent student and incidentally read the works of the foremost French, Ger man, Italian and English writers. His youthful poems attracted the attention of the rector of the Normal School at Pisa, then attached to the university, and he was admitted to this in stitution, receiving board and tuition free. He worked with furious energy, read omnivorously, wrote for the press and compiled an anthology of poetry. Graduating from the Normal School in 1856 he became teacher in the San Miniato Lycie, which he was forced to leave the following year on account of his liberal tendencies. In 1857 his first volume of poems appeared under the title of 'Rime.) He went to Florence with the intention of making litera ture his life work, but the suicide of his brother Dante and the death of his father in 1858 threw upon him the support of the family. Then began a long and bitter struggle against poverty. He wrote for magazines, tutored and lived, with the family, in a small, ill-fur nished garret. For the Editrione Diansante he wrote articles covering almost every imagi nable subject, and everything he did with the utmost care, devoting his days and nights to research; so that his work ever exhibited the ear-marks of the scholar. During his 10 years with the Edizione he produced literary mate rial sufficient in volume and quality for the life work of most men. In 1859, after 10 years' en gagement, Carducci married his cousin, Elvira Minicucci. • The war with Austria, which broke out in the same year, inspired his poetic muse, and he began contributing stirring poetic odes to the press. Italy began to be curious about this young man who spoke with so much radical enthusiasm and authority. His poems to 'Vittorio Emanuele> and 'Alla Croche di Savia> received enthusiastic welcome, and the latter was set to music, sung in the theatres, recited in the schools and salons, whistled on the streets and repeated among the hosts of the army of liberty. Carducci was appointed pro fessor of Greek in the Lycie of Pistola, a posi tion he resigned in a few months to accept the professorship of literature in the University of Bologna which he was destined to hold for 44 years. He continued working with the same
prodigious energy, writing poetry and prose, editing works for the publishing house, prepar ing university lectures and making extensive researches. His earnestness, brilliant imagery, strong originality and oratorical powers at tracted to his classes students from all over Italy and, later, from all over Europe, and Car ducci became a name to conjure by. His grad uated students formed Carducci societies for the propagation of his ideas round which the literary battle of the century in Italy had al ready begun. Never before had such lectures on literature been given in any university in Italy as Carducci- furnished in his conferences on the 'Development of the National Litera ture) and its relation to the social history of the Italian people from the earliest days to his own time. In them he became the prophet of Italy whose glorious past he depicted as it had never before been painted. In her he saw Rome living over again in all the majesty and glory of Roman tradition. His intense patriot ism brought all liberal, progressive Italy to his feet, and his ardent admiration of ancient Italy and Rome revived the "glorious paganism') of classical days. He attacked bitterly the liter ary, political and artistic views then generally accepted in Italy; and the more the battle raged the larger grew his classes and his followers which included most of the younger generation. He fought the suzerainty of Austria over. Italy, the temporal power of the Catholic Church and the apathy of Italy herself. In turning away from Romanism he set his face against Christianity, as he knew it in Italy, and asceticism which he declared opposed to all progress, beauty and truth. This hatred showed itself in his 'Ode to Satan' (1865), the *immortal foe of autocracy and the ban ner-bearer of the great reformers and inno vators in all ages.* In 'Giambi ed Epodi' he struck a new and passionate note that roused all Italy and finally led to his suspension from his classes in the university (1868-70). 'Nuove Poesie> (1873), a collection of 44 new poems, added very greatly to his reputation at home and abroad and made his position secure. The 'Odi Barbare> (1877) had still greater success, the first edition being sold out in a few weeks. In these he discards rhymes and adopts the various metres of Horace with success, in lyrics of great beauty, force and originality.
Gradually, in his later days, Carducci, the ardent Republican, became a convert to mon archism and he was elected member of the Senate in 1890. His last volume of _poems (Ritmi e Rime) appeared in 1899. He re signed his professorship in 1904 and two years later he received the Nobel prize for literature. His published works, which treat of history, biography, political and other controversy, lit erary criticism, philosophy, lyrical, erotic, de scriptive, pastoral and dramatic poetry are among the most extensive in the history of Italian literature. Consult Zanichelli, 'Opere de Giosue Carducci> (Bologna 1909) ; Chiarini, G. L., (Carducci) (1913) ; Granett, R., 'Italian Literature) (1908); Holland, Maud, 'Poems of Giosue Carducci' (20 poems translated, 1907); Williams, Orlo, 'Giosue Carducci> (1914).