La conchiglia
By Margherita Guidacci - Italy, 1921–1992
Concluding | Nature, Identity, Free Will
Non a te appartengo sebbene nel cavo della tua mano
ora riposi, viandante;
né alla sabbia da cui mi raccogliesti
e dove giacqui lungamente,
prima che al tuo sguardo
si offrisse la mia forma mirabile.
Io compagna d’agili pesci e d’alghe
ebbi la vita dal grembo delle libere onde.
E non odio né oblio ma l’amara tempesta me ne divise.
Perciò si duole in me l’antica patria e rimormora
assiduamente e ne sospira la mia anima marina,
mentre tu reggi il mio segreto sulla tua palma
e stupito vi pieghi il tuo orecchio straniero.
Glossary
|
WORD
|
DEFINITION
|
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
|
|---|---|---|
| a te appartengo (phrase) | from the verb appartenere, meaning to belong to something or someone else | I belong to you, I am part of you, I reside in you |
| al (prep.) | expressing belonging or direction | to |
| alghe (n.) | a plant that grows underwater | algae, seaweed |
| alla (prep.) | expressing direction | to, of, in |
| anima (n.) | the essence of life | spirit, soul |
| assiduamente (adv.) | with great diligence | tirelessly, persistently, continuously |
| compagna (n.) | a member of the same group | friend, companion, mate |
| d’agili (prep. + adj.) | related to something that moves quickly | of nimble, of lively, of vivacious |
| d’alghe (prep. + n.) | related to a plant that grows underwater | of algae, of seaweed |
| da cui (prep.) | expressing origin | from which, off which, from where |
| dal (prep.) | expressing direction | from the |
| delle (prep.) | expressing possession or belonging | of, of the |
| dove (prep.) | describing position or location | where, in which |
| e (conj.) | in addition to | and, as well as |
| ebbi la vita (phrase) | from the phrase avere la vita, which literally means to have life | I was born, I was created, I was birthed |
| forma (n.) | the outer contour of an object | shape, form, outline |
| giacqui (v.) | from the verb giacere, meaning to lie or recline | I lay, I rested, I slept |
| grembo (n.) | an intimate, protected place | womb, uterus, lap |
| il mio (art. + adj.) | owned by the speaker | my, of mine |
| il tuo (art. + adj.) | owned by the person being spoken to | your, of yours |
| in (prep.) | expressing position or location | in, within |
| io (pron.) | used by the speaker or writer referring to himself or herself | I |
| l'amara (adj.) | describing something unpleasant | the bitter, the harsh, the cruel |
| l'antica (adj.) | describing something that dates back to the past | the old, the ancient |
| la conchiglia (n.) | the hard outside covering of an animal | the shell, the seashell, the conch |
| la mia (art. + adj.) | expressing possession or ownership | my, of mine |
| libere (adj.) | unrestricted, released, loose | free, open, limitless |
| lungamente (adv.) | expressing a period of time | for a long time, for ages, for a while |
| ma (conj.) | expressing contrast | but, yet, rather |
| mano (n.) | the part of the body with five fingers, used for touching | hand, palm, grip |
| marina (adj.) | relating to the sea | marine, sea, aquatic |
| me ne divise (pron. + v.) | from the verb dividere, meaning to separate | separated me from it, divided me from it, took me from it |
| mentre (conj.) | at the same time | while, as |
| mi raccogliesti (pron.+ v.) | from the verb raccogliere, meaning to collect | you picked me up, you found me, you got me |
| mirabile (adj.) | worthy of admiration | amazing, enchanting, marvelous |
| né (conj.) | used to connect parts of a negative sentence | nor |
| ne sospira (v.) | from the verb sospirare, meaning to sigh | longs for it, yearns for it, sighs for it |
| nel cavo della (phrase) | located in a hollowed out space | inthe cavern of, in the valley of, in the alcove of |
| non (adv.) | used to make statements negative | not, do not, neither |
| oblio (n.) | the condition of forgetting | forgetting, neglect |
| odio (n.) | a feeling of extreme dislike | hate, hatred, ill-will |
| onde (n.) | movement in a body of water | waves, swells, breakers |
| ora (adv.) | at the time of speaking | now, at the moment |
| orecchio (n.) | the bodily organ for hearing | ear |
| patria (n.) | a person’s native country | homeland, country, nation |
| palma(n.) | inner surface of the hand | palm, hand |
| perciò (conj.) | used to express consequence | therefore, thus, for this reason |
| pesci (n.) | an animal with fins that lives in water | fish, sea creatures |
| prima che (conj.) | describes what happened at an earlier time | before |
| rimormora (v.) | from verb mormorare, meaning to make a soft sound | it hums, it murmurs, it whispers |
| riposi (v.) | from the verb riposare, meaning to be inactive | I rest, I relax, I take a break |
| sabbia (n. | a fine material of rocks and minerals | sand, shore, beach |
| sebbene (conj.) | introduces a modifying statement | though, even if, despite |
| segreto (n.) | something kept hidden | secret, mystery, surprise |
| sguardo (n.) | the act or means of seeing | gaze, eyes, glance |
| si duole in me (v.) | from the verb dolere, meaning to feel pain | aches in me, hurts me, pains me |
| si offrisse (v.) | from the verb offrire, meaning to offer or make available | showed itself, presented itself, opened itself |
| straniero (adj.) | from another place | foreign, alien, unfamiliar |
| stupito (adj.) | from the verb stupire, meaning to stupefy | astonished, amazed, astounded |
| sulla (prep.) | expressing position or location | on, upon |
| tempesta (n.) | a violent storm of rain and wind | gale, tempest, hurricane |
| tu reggi (pron. + v.) | from the verb reggere, meaningto hold | you hold, you grasp, you bear |
Background
Poetic Form
Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such poems are without rhythms and rhyme schemes; do not follow regular rhyme scheme rules and still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his own shape to a poem how he/she desires. However, it still allows poets to use alliteration, rhyme, cadences or rhythms to get the effects that they consider are suitable for the piece.
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