What was Hermeticism in Italian poetry?

Hermeticism was a modernist poetic movement in 20th-century Italy characterized by highly subjective language, illogical sequences, and an unorthodox, often cryptic structure. The movement emphasized the evocative power of individual words, frequently stripping away traditional syntax and punctuation.1

The term was coined by critic Francesco Flora, who derived it from Hermes Trismegistos—a figure associated with occult, symbolic works—to describe the movement's obscurity and abstruse symbolism. While influenced by French Symbolism and the innovative spirit of Futurism, the Hermetic style was also a response to the restrictive political climate of the interwar period, as the Fascist regime exerted intensive control over literature.1

Giuseppe Ungaretti served as the movement's primary leader, with Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo also gaining international recognition as key figures. Following World War II, these poets largely moved away from the introverted, formalized style of Hermeticism toward more universal, socially committed, or humanistic themes.12