Poesie di Ossian

The Poesie di Ossian is a collection of poems translated by Melchiorre Cesarotti. Cesarotti, an Italian poet and critic, translated these works from James Macpherson's English versions of the purported poems of the legendary Gaelic bard Ossian.1

Published between 1763 and 1772, Cesarotti's translation is noted for reviving interest in nature poetry and encouraging the development of Romanticism in Italy. The mysterious and gloomy fantasy of these poems, though alien to classical traditions, significantly influenced later Italian writers like Foscolo and Leopardi. Cesarotti also authored influential essays on aesthetics and language, advocating for literature to be freed from strict academic constraints.12