Appressamento della morte

Appressamento della morte (Approach of Death) is a poem written by Giacomo Leopardi in 1816 and published in 1835. It is a visionary work in terza rima, imitative of Petrarch and Dante, but written with considerable poetic skill and inspired by a genuine feeling of despair.1

Leopardi, an Italian poet, scholar, and philosopher, was a precocious child whose excessive studies permanently damaged his health. Wounded by his parents' unconcern and sustained by his siblings, he poured his hopes and bitterness into poems like Appressamento della morte. This poem reflects his deep despair and the anguish he felt throughout his life, stemming from personal losses and a profound sense of disillusionment with nature and existence. Leopardi's poetry, including this work, is admired for its brilliance, intensity, and musicality, even when exploring themes of pessimism and the vanity of hope.12