I Saw the Muses

Leonardo Sinisgalli (1908--1981) was born in Lucania, Italy, and was a painter as well as a major poet. His images and metaphors arise from nature. His muses perch on an ancient oak, eating, not ambrosia, but acorns and berries. The dominant landscapes of his poetry are intimate, a world of affections, places and people, that transcend time and the particulars of culture and locality. His language is plain and sensuous; his voice, gentle. In his poetry are the wonder of a child and the ironies of a twentieth century man.