Giacomo Leopardi

Giacomo Leopardi, Count (June 29, 1798 – June 14, 1837) was a major Italian Romantic poet, often considered alongside Dante and Petrarch as Italy's greatest poets.

Major works

His major works include the Zibaldone, the Operette Morali (a collection of short stories), and the Canti collection of poems. He held a pessimistic view of nature as a bad mother always on the verge of destroying humanity, while happiness came from the absence of pain (as expressed in La quiete dopo la tempesta where he says "piacer figlio d'affanno" (pleasure son of pain)).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~