Cycle: XXXVIII

PhD student: Kheloud Mohamed Ramzy Shoushou

Role: R1 - First Stage Researcher

Supervisor: Prof. Alessandro Ottaviani, Prof.ssa Nunzia Palmieri

I completed my bachelor and master degrees in Modern philology. I am currently a PhD student in Philosophy, Epistemology, Human Sciences at the University of Cagliari, with a research project on Italian epistolography of the twentieth century.My main interest is the epistolary writings of Umberto Saba. The aims of my thesis are to:
– Maintain the centrality of the investigation and the gaze fixed on the letters as a work in themselves.
– Highlight the romance intent in the letters.
– Demonstrate how, in the epistolary writing of Saba, it is the narration itself that performs the function of unifying element.

THESIS' ABSTRACT

Title: A missing edition: a critical reading of Umberto Saba’s epistolary

“Mi sfogo a scrivere lettere agli amici, lettere che forse un giorno verranno raccolte” (1)

When examining a poet's correspondence, particularly one that spans a vast chronological scope and consists of a well-structured collection of writings, it is natural to set high expectations. Umberto Saba’s letters exemplify both the breadth and depth of thematic concerns, the intellectual caliber of his correspondents, the recollection of historical events through personal experience, and insights into the genesis of his poetry and prose. As a result, his correspondence serves as an indispensable resource for a deeper understanding of the writer and a close analysis of fifty years of Italian cultural history.

“Umberto Saba is a great poet, and he will live among the greatest poets in our literary history” (2): these are the words Elsa Morante used to describe Umberto Saba upon his passing. While this definition underscores the significance of his poetic work, it is equally true that Saba was also an outstanding prose writer. His prose constitutes a fundamental aspect of his literary output and encompasses a diverse range of texts: from the self-commentary on Il Canzoniere (Storia e Cronistoria) to the novel Ernesto, from the brief narratives in Scorciatoie e raccontini to his extensive epistolary collection, which includes nearly 2,600 letters.

Characterized by a very complex editorial and philological history, this work in progress is of immense interest. However, over sixty years after Saba's death, his letters remain largely unexamined in a systematic manner. Although there is no shortage of significant monographs and articles covering various themes of this huge epistolary corpus (over 2,500 letters), a accurate and specific study is still lacking. The objective of this study is to examine the letters as a distinct body of work, analyzing them thematically and stylistically, as well as from a diachronic and historical perspective.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

The project is situated within the broader framework of studies dedicated to the epistolary writings of twentieth-century. It adopts a synchronic approach, examining both the thematic and stylistic dimensions of Saba’s letters. At the same time, a diachronic perspective is essential as it sheds light on the evolution 
of Saba's thought while preserving the coherence and unity of the text.

1 He wrote to Edward Weiss (Trieste, 19 marzo 1949), in Umberto Saba lettere sulla psicoanalisi correspondence with Joachim Flescher, 1946-1949, SE, Milano, 1991, p.77. [I find relief in writing letters to friends, letters that may one day be collected.]

2 Elsa Morante, Opere, second volume, Milan, A. Mondadori, 1997, p.1489.