Il DECADENTISMO per la MATURITÀ

Summary

This video delves into the birth and evolution of Decadentism, a literary movement that arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The script explores its historical and cultural context, key themes, and the intellectual and artistic reactions to the crisis of 19th-century positivism. The movement rejected the strict rationalism of science, favoring symbolism, aesthetics, and the exploration of subconscious and irrational elements. It highlights the contributions of key authors like D'Annunzio, Pascoli, and Pirandello in Italy, and their counterparts in Europe, offering an insightful look into Decadentism's rich, multifaceted nature.

Takeaways

• 😀 The decline of positivism leads literature away from faith in science and towards irrational and ambiguous signs, marking the rise of decadence.
• 😀 In the late 1800s and early 1900s, France adopts the term 'decadent' as a form of artistic identity, despite it initially being an insult.
• 😀 The period is marked by a crisis in optimism, with growing skepticism towards scientific determinism and a shift towards psychological and philosophical ideas, such as Nietzsche's 'death of God' and Freud's focus on the unconscious.
• 😀 Symbolism becomes a dominant poetic form, focusing on hidden meanings in the real world, where poets evoke, rather than explain, experiences.
• 😀 Aestheticism, as part of the decadent movement, prioritizes art and beauty over practical or bourgeois concerns, offering an intense search for meaning in art.
• 😀 Decadent literature breaks away from clear, rational prose, using more musical, allusive language that includes parataxis, metaphor, and sound patterns like alliteration.
• 😀 The use of Latinisms, foreign words, and neologisms in decadent literature captures nuanced emotions, expanding the vocabulary of the era.
• 😀 The themes of decadence include the fragmentation of the self, a rejection of bourgeois morality, and a fascination with the mysterious, the pathological, and the fleeting nature of life.
• 😀 In Italy, the decadent movement is represented by figures like D'Annunzio, who embodies aestheticism, and Pascoli, who offers a more symbolic, childlike approach to the world.
• 😀 Outside of Italy, decadentism intersects with Symbolism in countries like France, with poets like Verlain and Mallarmé, and in Mitteleuropa, with writers like Rilke and Hofmannsthal, creating a broader cultural movement.

Q & A

What historical context led to the development of Decadentism?

Decadentism emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to the crisis of optimism brought about by the decline of positivism. This was a period marked by uncertainty, where scientific certainties were questioned, and the individual felt lost in a rapidly changing world.

How did the field of psychology influence Decadentism?

Psychology, especially the works of Freud and Nietzsche, played a significant role in Decadentism. Freud's exploration of the unconscious and Nietzsche's critique of traditional values contributed to a focus on deeper, often irrational aspects of the human psyche, which became a core theme in Decadent literature.

What is Symbolism in the context of Decadentism?

Symbolism in Decadentism refers to the idea that real-world objects and experiences carry hidden meanings and associations. Poets and writers no longer aimed to directly explain or define things but instead to evoke them, allowing the audience to interpret deeper, often mystical meanings.

What is the role of aesthetics in Decadentism?

Aesthetics played a central role in Decadentism. The movement celebrated beauty and art for art's sake, rejecting utilitarian or bourgeois values. It focused on the pursuit of sensory and artistic experiences as a way to find meaning and escape the mundane aspects of daily life.

How did Decadentism impact the style and language of literature?

Decadent literature often used musical, allusive language, and fragmented syntax. The prose became more poetic, with short, disjointed sentences and a focus on sound and rhythm through alliterations, assonances, and onomatopoeia. The use of Latinisms, foreign terms, and neologisms also expanded the vocabulary to capture more subtle nuances.

What are the key characteristics of Decadent poetry?

Key characteristics of Decadent poetry include a focus on ambiguity, a fragmented sense of self (the use of masks), rejection of bourgeois morality, fascination with the pathological and mysterious, and the use of symbolism and aesthetics to explore deeper psychological states.

How did Italian authors contribute to Decadentism?

In Italy, Decadentism manifested through authors like Gabriele D'Annunzio, who embodied aestheticism and the idea of life as a masterpiece. Giovanni Pascoli offered a different approach, focusing on the 'fanciullino' (the child-like gaze) to uncover mystery in the everyday. In the early 20th century, writers like Italo Svevo and Luigi Pirandello explored modern alienation and the fragmented self.

What was the relationship between Decadentism and Symbolism in France and Central Europe?

Decadentism in France was closely tied to Symbolism, with poets like Paul Verlaine, Stéphane Mallarmé, and Arthur Rimbaud influencing the movement. In Central Europe, figures like Rainer Maria Rilke and Hugo von Hofmannsthal explored similar themes of interiority and the search for deeper meanings, often through metaphors and symbolic imagery.

How did Decadentism challenge traditional ideas of reality and truth?

Decadentism rejected the notion of an objective, measurable reality. It suggested that truth was subjective and elusive, often requiring intuitive or emotional understanding. The movement embraced the idea that reality is fluid and that our perception of it is deeply influenced by inner states, desires, and emotions.

What role did Decadentism play in the broader cultural shifts of the 19th and 20th centuries?

Decadentism reflected and contributed to the cultural shifts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the questioning of scientific and rational certainties, the rise of psychoanalysis, and the challenge to traditional moral and aesthetic values. It became a bridge between 19th-century romanticism and the modernist movements that followed.