Alfonso Gatto
Alfonso Gatto was an influential Italian poet and journalist born on July 17, 1909, in Salerno, Italy. He began his academic journey at the University of Naples but left without completing his degree to pursue various occupations, including bookseller and teacher. Gatto published his first poetry collection, *Isola*, in 1932, showcasing surrealist influences, followed by *Morto ai paesi* in 1937, which reflected elements of hermeticism. In 1934, he relocated to Milan, where he became actively involved in journalism and later participated in the Resistance during World War II, even facing imprisonment in 1936. His later poetry, particularly in his 1966 collection *La storia delle vittime*, addressed themes of war and resistance against fascism. Gatto's work earned him several literary accolades throughout his career, and he was known for his musical lyric poetry, which often explored death. He aimed to make his poetry more accessible to a broader audience, moving beyond the complexities of hermeticism. Gatto passed away in a car accident in 1976.
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Alfonso Gatto
Poet
- Born: July 17, 1909
- Birthplace: Salerno, Italy
- Died: March 8, 1976
Biography
Alfonso Gatto was born on July 17, 1909, in Salerno, Italy, into a family of sailors. In 1926, he enrolled at the University of Naples but did not complete his degree. He worked at a variety of jobs, including bookseller, teacher, proofreader, and editor. His first collection of poetry, Isola, was published in 1932. The collection showed the influence of surrealism. His second collection, Morto ai paesi, published in 1937, showed characteristics of hermeticism.
In 1934, Gatto moved to Milan, where he worked as a journalist. Active in the Resistance movement during Word War II, he was jailed in 1936. He later joined the Communist party and served as a special correspondent to the communist daily newspaper, L’Unità. The poems of his 1966 collection, La storia delle vittime, were inspired by the war and his resistance to fascism. He died in a car accident in 1976.
Gatto’s literary prizes include: the 1939 Savini, the 1948 Saint-Vincent, the 1954 Marzotto, the 1956 Bagutta, the 1960 Rustichello da Pisa, the 1960 Napoli, the 1962 Elba, and the 1966 Viareggio. He wrote musical lyric poetry in traditional Italian meter, often exploring the subject of death. He distinguished himself by transcending hermeticism, with its unorthodox poetic structure and subjective language, and writing more accessible poetry for a larger, less educated audience than most other poets in the hermetic school.