ALDA MERINI

alda merini

By Ruggeri Elena

<< La mia poesia è alacre come il fuoco, trascorre tra le mie dita come un rosario. Non prego perché sono un poeta della sventura che tace, a volte, le doglie di un parto dentro le ore. >>

21 March 1931 - 1 November 2009

In elementary school she was the first in her class 10 yo--> she wins the Young Italian Poetesses award. 12 yo--> she was displaced with her mother Emilia, in Vercelli.

16 yo -->she was hospitalized for a month in the Villa Turro clinic in Milan

where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

1953 --> Merini married Ettore Carniti, a very different man from her and not interested in poetry. with him she will have 4 daughters Emanuela, Flavia, Barbara and Simonetta

she faced poverty, misery, fear and she had to interrupting her studies.

Historical context

Alda Merini in 1961 was locked up in the Paolo Pini asylum until 1972.

After 3 years, she had the possibility, thanks to Dr. S, to vent her illness through poetry 2 times a day.

In 1979, she published "LA TERRA SANTA", a sort of promised land sought through poetry and writing

In 1993 she was awarded the Librex-Guggenheim Eugenio Montale Prize

<<La mia poesia è alacre come il fuoco, trascorre tra le mie dita come un rosario. Non prego perché sono un poeta della sventura che tace, a volte, le doglie di un parto dentro le ore. >>

But the real hell, for Alda Merini, wasn't the asylum; it was outside, where people didn't bother to use the proper words.

Historical context

Alda Merini in 1961 was locked up in the Paolo Pini asylum until 1972.

After 3 years, she had the possibility, thanks to Dr. S, to vent her illness through poetry 2 times a day.

In 1979, she published "LA TERRA SANTA", a sort of promised land sought through poetry and writing

In 1993 she was awarded the Librex-Guggenheim Eugenio Montale Prize

<<La mia poesia è alacre come il fuoco, trascorre tra le mie dita come un rosario. Non prego perché sono un poeta della sventura che tace, a volte, le doglie di un parto dentro le ore. >>

But the real hell, for Alda Merini, wasn't the asylum; it was outside, where people didn't bother to use the proper words.

Historical context

Alda Merini in 1961 was locked up in the Paolo Pini asylum until 1972.

After 3 years, she had the possibility, thanks to Dr. S, to vent her illness through poetry 2 times a day.

In 1979, she published "LA TERRA SANTA", a sort of promised land sought through poetry and writing

In 1993 she was awarded the Librex-Guggenheim Eugenio Montale Prize

<<La mia poesia è alacre come il fuoco, trascorre tra le mie dita come un rosario. Non prego perché sono un poeta della sventura che tace, a volte, le doglie di un parto dentro le ore. >>

But the real hell, for Alda Merini, wasn't the asylum; it was outside, where people didn't bother to use the proper words.

The poems she wrote outline what was a sad chapter for the treatment of problems related to mentally fragile subjects.

Among the many most important testimonies given by Alda Merini, we find one about electroshock and how it was used.

she died in 2009 for a tumor, her death has left a mark in the memories of all who are passionate about the genre of poetry.

Merini has distinguished her self as few have done. Her poetry was driven by madness, which has had the opportunity to contrast with her poetic and writing talent.

THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION !!