Clemente Rèbora
Clemente Rèbora was an Italian poet and educator born on January 6, 1885, in Milan. He came from a family with diverse beliefs; his father was a freethinking republican, while his mother had a Catholic background but was not religiously active. Rèbora studied medicine briefly before shifting his focus to literature, publishing his first poetry collection, "Frammenti lirici," in 1913. His experiences during World War I, including a bout of hospitalization for mental health issues, deeply influenced his writing. Notably, he wrote the acclaimed war poem "Viatico" during this tumultuous period.
Rèbora's later years saw him convert to Catholicism and become a priest, which significantly shaped his later works. He returned to poetry late in life, with significant works including "Curriculum vitae" and "Canti dell'infermità" published in the 1950s. His poetry is characterized by a profound exploration of hope and despair, reflecting the complexities of Italian culture in the aftermath of the war. Rèbora passed away on November 1, 1957, leaving behind a legacy that intertwines personal struggle with broader cultural themes.
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Clemente Rèbora
Poet and writer
- Born: January 6, 1885
- Birthplace: Milan, Italy
- Died: November 1, 1957
- Place of death: Stresa, Italy
Biography
Clemente Rèbora was born on January 6, 1885, in Milan, Italy. His father, Enrico Rèbora, was a freethinking republican. His mother, Teresa Rinaldi Rèbora, was Catholic, but did not practice her religion. Although he was baptized, Rèbora did not grow up in a religious household. He studied medicine for one year at the University of Pavia. In 1911, he received his degree from the Academio Scientifico- Letteraria.
Rèbora published essays on education in La Voce. In 1913, his first collection of poems, Frammenti lirici, was published. From 1910 until 1915, he taught in night schools. He served in World War I in 1915, an experience that resulted in his hospitalization for madness. In 1916, he wrote a critically acclaimed war poem, “Viatico,” which was published in Le poesie, a collection of Rèbora’s poems published by his brother, Pietro Rèbora, in 1946.
Rèbora returned to teaching in 1918. He worked as a private tutor and published articles, but he remained in poverty. He preferred teaching in night school because he could serve the working-class students. His relationship with the Russian pianist Lidia Natus lasted from 1914 until 1919. She taught him the Russian language, which enabled him to publish translations of works by Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy. In 1922, his second collection of poems, Canti anonimi, was published.
Rèbora converted to Catholicism in 1929. In 1931, he entered the Rosminian monastary at Monte Calvario, and in 1936 he was ordained a priest. He wrote little during this period, though he did return to poetry late in his life. Curriculum vitae, considered an autobiography in verse, was published in 1955; Canti dell’infermità was published in 1956. He died on November 1, 1957, after being bedridden for two years. Rèbora’s poetry is recognized for the oscillation between hope and despair typical of Italian culture before and after World War I.