Arturo Onofri
Arturo Onofri was an Italian poet born on September 15, 1885, in Rome, coming from an upper-middle-class family. His early work was influenced by contemporaries such as Gabriele D'Annunzio and the French Symbolists, with notable collections spanning from 1907 to 1912. In 1912, he founded the literary journal Lirica and began to embrace avant-garde ideas. Onofri's creative output was significantly impacted by Italy's involvement in World War I, during which he served in a desk position at the Italian Red Cross. Following his marriage in 1916 and influenced by the music of Richard Wagner and the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner, Onofri's poetry evolved into a more philosophical and didactic approach. His later works, particularly the series Terrestrità del sole, marked a shift back to traditional poetic forms. Despite a decline in recognition after his turn to Anthroposophy, Onofri's contributions to literature have been preserved and are currently being translated for wider audiences. He passed away on December 25, 1928, at the age of 43.
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Arturo Onofri
Writer
- Born: September 15, 1885
- Birthplace: Rome, Italy
- Died: December 25, 1928
Biography
The Italian poet Arturo Onofri was born on September 15, 1885, in Rome, Italy, the son of Beatrice (Shreider) and Vincenzo Onofri, an upper-middle-class couple. Raised during a profoundly transitional phase of European history, Onofri would perhaps be known today as a European Modernist if not for the mystical and didactic turn his work took in mid-career.
Like the writings of many of his time, Onofri’s poetry was at first primarily influenced by Gabriele D’Annunzio and the French Symbolists, especially Stéphane Mallarmé, as can be seen in his collections from Lyriche (1907) to Disamore (1912). In 1910, Onofri began publishing literary essays in avant-garde journals, and in 1912 he founded his own journal, Lirica, with Umberto Fracchia. With an essay, “Tendenze,” published on June 15, 1915, Onofri rejected the strictures of most traditional forms unless they arose directly from the poet’s necessity; much of Onofri’s poetry from this time reads as a series of prose fragments. Italy’s involvement in World War I deeply and adversely affected Onofri’s creative production; he took a desk position with the Italian Red Cross that he held the rest of his brief life, and the dark and alienated Orchestrine was published in 1917.
However, Onofri did return to lyric poetry after his marriage in 1916 to Bice Sinibaldi; the couple eventually had two sons, Fabrizio and Giorgio. Arioso (airy, 1921) marked this stage of his literary productivity. Onofri also came under two influences at this time that would mark (and some would say, mar) his poetry and prose thenceforth: the music of Richard Wagner and the writings of Rudolf Steiner, founder of the International Anthroposophic Society, a Theosophical organization. Under Steiner’s teachings, Onofri began to attempt to define a philosophy of poetry strongly resonant of the ideas to be found in the god “Pan” and in the “Cosmic Christ,” a mystical philosophy characterized by a singular approach to nature and existence. In fact, Onofri’s work became increasingly philosophical and didactic rather than poetic, as in Le trombe d’argento (1924), a collection of Anthroposophic prose “messages.” However, in the six consecutive volumes of Terrestrità del sole, beginning in 1927 and concluding with Aprirsi fiore (the flower’s opening, published posthumously in 1935), Onofri turned away from free verse and prose to traditional blank-verse meters such as the hendecasyllabic.
After his entry into Anthroposophism, Onofri saw a decline in both success and critical attention; he died on Christmas Day, 1928, at the age of forty-three. However, his works were collected in several editions: Poesie (1949), Poesie d’amore (1959), Poesie scelte (1960), and Poesie edite e inedite, 1900-1914 (1982). A biography of Onofri, by Anna Dolfi, was published in 1976. Onofri’s poetry and essays are currently being translated for English publication by Italian writer Anny Ballardini, under the auspices of publisher Marco Albertazzo, who has been promoting Onofri through his press La Finestra in Trento, Italy.