Notturno

Gabriele D’Annunzio’s “Notturno” is an interesting piece of literature that combines formal poetry components with an autobiographical narrative. Writing this beautiful 288-page prose poetry on strips of paper one line at a time D’Annunzio did it while his eyes were bandaged from an eye injury. The compositional technique becomes essential to the reading experience.

In Notturno, he intertwines visions of his far-off past, especially those related to his mother and early years, with darkness, war memories, death, and grief. The language is so vivid that it conjures up indescribable hues and wonderful sceneries, much like going from painting to painting at an art gallery. An extraordinary work of literature formed out of hardship and sensory intensity.