Roberto Carifi (born 1948 in Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy) is an Italian poet, translator, essayist, and literary critic. He is recognized for his contributions to contemporary Italian poetry and for translating works of prominent Anglo‑American poets into Italian.
Early life and education
Carifi studied philosophy at the University of Florence, where he earned a degree in the discipline. His academic background in philosophy has informed much of his poetic and critical work.
Literary career
Carifi began publishing poetry in the early 1970s. Over the ensuing decades he released numerous collections, including Il pianto di Maria (1978), Il corpo (1984), La vita in sospensione (1991), and Il vuoto (2005). His poetry is noted for its existential themes, linguistic experimentation, and engagement with philosophical questions.
In addition to his own poetry, Carifi has produced a substantial body of translation work, rendering into Italian the poems of William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and other modernist and post‑modernist English‑language poets. His translations have been praised for preserving the stylistic nuances of the original texts while making them accessible to an Italian readership.
Carifi has also contributed essays and literary criticism to various Italian journals, discussing both contemporary poetry and the broader intersections of literature and philosophy.
Awards and honors
Carifi’s contributions have been recognized with several literary prizes, among them:
- Premio Montale (1992) – awarded for his poetic achievements.
- Premio Metauro (2000) – awarded for his collection Il vuoto.
He has participated in numerous international poetry festivals and has been a visiting lecturer at several Italian universities, where he taught courses on poetry and translation.
Selected bibliography
- Il pianto di Maria (1978)
- Il corpo (1984)
- La vita in sospensione (1991)
- Il vuoto (2005)
Translations
- William Carlos Williams, Poems (Italian translation, 1990)
- Ezra Pound, Selected Poems (Italian translation, 1995)
Influence and legacy
Roberto Carifi is regarded as a significant figure in late‑20th‑century Italian poetry, noted for bridging philosophical inquiry and poetic form. His translation work has contributed to the reception of Anglo‑American modernist poetry in Italy, influencing a generation of Italian poets and translators.
