Giuseppe Berton, Time – Forty Italian poems, Guido Miano Editore, Milano 2024 -Recensione di Marcella Mellea

Comunicato Stampa

TIME – Forty Italian poems, by Giuseppe Berton – preface by Marco Zelioli and English translation by Luisa Randon – is a collection of poems which presents itself as an intimate journey through the multiple dimensions of time. With its eight chapters, each composed of five poems, the book builds a mosaic of experiences, emotions and reflections that accompany the reader on a unique journey.

The organization of the collection is one of its strengths. Each chapter seems to represent a different moment or aspect of the author’s relationship with time: from childhood to maturity, from time meant as memory to time that flows inexorably towards the unknown. This scheme allows for an organic reading but also a freer fruition, leaving the reader the possibility of jumping between the sections and finding his own connection with the verses. The poems are often short, incisive, and skillfully play with the rhythm and images. The author alternates melancholic and nostalgic tones with moments of vivid hope, making the collection multifaceted and never monotonous.

The author sings the time, subjective and objective, and analyzes it in all its aspects, captures memories and returns them to the reader through verses full of colours, musicality, vivid scenes, which transmit pure and intense emotions. The use of free verse reflects the fluidity and emotional spontaneity of the presented topic; some poems, composed of short and free stanzas, are characterized by an intimate and meditative tone. The poet, in his poetic creation, draws extensively on the culture and mythology of ancient Greece, romantic poetry but also rock and pop music. The themes covered are universal and transcend time and space: love, desire, loss, beauty, memory, the deep connection between art and human experience, the influence of the past on emotions and modern art, the eternity of emotions and the fleetingness of mortal moments in which they are perceived.

The tone of each poem varies from melancholic to nostalgic, from reverent to passionate. The rhythm is sometimes broken and irregular, almost a flow of thoughts, designed to underline the spontaneity and emotionality of the text. The first chapter, “The last evening of the year”, opens with a profound poem, “TIME”, in which the poet considers the fleeting nature of time and the subjective perception of it; time is an illusion, he warns us, and says: “I think time is an illusion,/only an illusion in this unknown life./And it is less than a kiss”; time is less than a kiss, less than the blink of an eye, its perception varies from person to person and from situation to situation: let’s think, in fact, of time perceived as interminable in waiting or boredom, but appears fast, in pleasant situations, instead. The author thus reminds us that there is no objective time. In “Streets” the author evokes the temporal passage of existence and through memory the “narrow lanes” crossed by the

author come back to mind, difficult moments, sweetened, however, by pleasant situations: “My soul said hello./It kissed your eyes. You smiled”. The poem dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh, “VINCENT”, is delicate and refined. When observing the work “Starry Night”, the author sees in the stars and in the yellow of the canvas the soul and life of the artist, marked by infinite sadness, madness and torment, a soul never at peace with itself, “The world could not stop your torment”. In this chapter the author ranges from a classical style, as in the poem “THE NIGHT”, to a more modern one, rich in rhythm, inspired by American singer-songwriters, as in the poem “BLACK ON BLACK 55.49 (New Orleans)”.

The second chapter, entitled “Marocco”, is characterized by poems in which the author seems to be a spectator of his own life and that of others; moments of falling in love, of waiting, of light touches of the hand, make life beautiful and worth living: “Today, the sky is deeply blue/and miraculously soul comes back to life./Today is a beautiful day/and I’ve kissed my love (A BEAUTIFUL DAY).

In the third chapter, entitled “A THOUSAND YEARS”, the poem “IN A SIGH To Stefania” emerges, here the anaphora “at the end”, repeated in all the verses, expresses the sigh, the doubts, the inability to seek, understand and give answers and meaning to what happens around us, at the end of our existence. The poem “THE TRAIN AND THE POPLAR TREE” tells a story, with the typical rhythm of pop music, the train, the poplar and the look full of wonder and amazement of a child, amazement that the author explains with a note to all those who love trains. The poem “A THOUSAND YEARS”, a classicizing and fast-paced poem, is full of figures from antiquity and is the winner of the International Dostoevsky Competition. This poem is an evocative and lyrical exploration of timeless human emotions, such as love, desire and the enduring power of art; it echoes the influence of writers such as J. Keats, and his melodious “Ode on a Grecian urn”. At the heart of the poem there is the idea that love, with all its ecstasy and torment, transcends time. The poem emphasizes the immortal power of poetry and music, “A Thousand Years” is a celebration of the enduring nature of love, art and human connection. The author connects the ancient and modern worlds, demonstrating that as time passes, the fundamental emotions that define us remain unchanged. Through its rich imagery and touching allusions, the poem honors Sappho’s legacy and reminds us of the eternity of beauty and passion. “MLK” and “BROTHER” pick up the rhythm of pop songs.

In the fourth chapter, “ONCE I WROTE A POEM”, the poems REFUGEES, THE LIGHTHOUSE, JERICHO, FORSAKEN GARDEN, ONCE, I WROTE A POEM, seem to be written to be set to music and sung, they have a pleasant and pulsating rhythm; the author, in the explanatory notes, confesses to us that “These five poems were inspired and respectfully dedicated to the music of Van derGraaf Generator”, a famous English rock group.

The fifth chapter, “TO THE MOON”, contains five profound poems that seem to embody a different moment of our temporal journey and resonate as fragments of a universal but

also personal story. The poem TO THE MOON feels the influence of Leopardi.

The sixth chapter, “DANCE WITH ME”, and the seventh, “TIME (OF UNIVERSE)”, take up the theme of time; the seventh chapter, in particular, is characterized by four lyrics and a haiku.

In the final section, the eighth, “COLOURS”, the poem “Colours” stands out, as a profound and contemplative lyrical work, full of existential and symbolic reflections that revolve around the themes of beauty, pain and transcendence. The poet uses colours as a metaphor for the beauty and emotions of life. The initial image of a thousand colours reflecting on “meadows of coral and silver” evokes a sense of fullness, but this beauty is confronted with the inevitable question: “But in the end, at dusk what will the colours look like?” Dusk becomes a symbol of the end of the day, of love and even of life. Again, in this poem there is a direct reference to Vincent Van Gogh, the tormented artist who dedicated his existence to capturing colours and emotions. The “sweet lost soul” recalls his suffering and his unique sensitivity, while the “starry fields” allude to his famous painting “Starry Night” and the artist becomes the one who seeks eternity through colour, despite the pain. Colours represent not only the natural world, but also emotions and moods. The homage to Van Gogh amplifies the theme of the conflict between the fragility of the human being and the desire to leave an eternal mark.

The collection ends with the poem “SPRING” “/Spring will come again,/On our eyes,/On our cold hands./As we’re running in the/frosty air/that hits the skin./Spring will come again,/on the snowy mountains,/On our dreams./And on our love/that blossoms again.”, which represents a hymn to hope and the rebirth of love, the return of spring, which symbolizes renewal, hope and rebirth. The poem evokes the natural cycle of the seasons, reflecting the passage from a cold and difficult condition (winter) to a phase of warmth and life (spring). This renewal does not only concern nature, but extends to human emotions: dreams and love are regenerated, just like the landscapes. Even if the tone of the poem is melancholic, it is not devoid of hope, sweetness and longing create an emotionally intense atmosphere. The poem invites the reader to reflect on the value of life and the importance of love, despite the uncertainties and pain.

The style of the poems is characterized by great attention to musicality and the choice of words, which are evocative and refined. The language, while accessible, does not lack depth, offering different levels of reading depending on the sensitivity of the reader. The metaphors of time, often linked to nature or everyday gestures, create an immediate bond with the reader. In particular, some poems shine for their ability to condense entire universes into a few verses. The use of enjambement and strategic pauses gives the text a rhythmic breath, almost as if each poem were a beat in the great heart of time.

TIME – Forty Italian poems is a collection full of meaning and beauty, which invites the reader to reflect on the deepest values ​​of life, a work that stands out for its ability to speak to the heart and mind of the reader. The variety of themes, the stylistic care and the depth

of feelings make this collection a precious experience for anyone who wishes to reflect on their relationship with time.

A book recommended to those who seek authentic poetry, capable of moving without artifice, and to those who love to immerse themselves in a reading that leaves room for contemplation. A book that is not limited to being read, but that invites everyone to live it.

Marcella Mellea

Giuseppe Berton, Time – Forty Italian poems, pref. Marco Zelioli, trad. in inglese di Luisa Randon, Guido Miano Editore, Milano 2024, pp. 80, isbn 979-12-81351-42-4, mianoposta@gmail.com.