«Hai, dicono, la bocca come il culo»

Language and Style in Beppe Fenoglio's Epigrammi

Abstract

A relatively little explored côté of Beppe Fenoglio's production is that of writing in verse. In fact, especially when compared to the vast bibliography available on the novelist and author of short stories, the one relating to the Epigrammi (1961), the only volume of verses by the writer, is much smaller. Yet, the collection offers scholars many reasons of interest: just think of the possibility of a comparative investigation both with Hellenistic or Latin models (primarily Martial), and with contemporary writers who also chose to revitalize the epigrammatic genre. Furthermore, fulfilling two solicitations of the last curator of the collection, Gabriele Pedullà, this contribution aims at the following objectives: firstly, we want to describe the work from a formal point of view by integrating, with regard to stylistic excursions, the important but isolated study of Carla Maria Sanfilippo (1974); secondly, we want to make a comparison with the verse version of Marziale certainly owned and read by Fenoglio, the one conducted with a classical taste by Giuseppe Lipparini (Zanichelli, 1958). It should also be kept in mind that a linguistic-stylistic investigation of the Epigrammi could highlight Fenoglio's relationship with the Italian language, notoriously not peaceful, from a new perspective. Finally, the work could facilitate the identification of a less vulgar Fenoglio, freed from the epic 'grand style', from the resistance myth and from expressionism.