Review of 'Le parole del mare' by Piero Dorfles, Exploring Nautical Language in Literature

A review discusses the book 'Le parole del mare' by Piero Dorfles, published by Sellerio, which examines how nautical terminology and maritime themes permeate literary works. The analysis highlights how sea-related words, such as 'bonaccia' (calm sea) and 'naufragio' (shipwreck), are used metaphorically across stories, from Homer's Odyssey to Joseph Conrad's 'The Shadow-Line'. Dorfles explores examples like the albatross in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', the stillness of ships in Conrad's narrative, and the destructive whale in Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick'. The book also references Giovanni Verga's 'I Malavoglia' and Virgil's 'Aeneid', illustrating how these terms symbolize human experiences like failure, rebirth, and adventure. In the concluding chapter, 'Arrivare in porto', Dorfles reflects on the human relationship with the sea, suggesting it narrates human struggles rather than the reverse. The review notes the author's refined writing style and the volume's historical and cultural insights, positioning it as a study of literary maritime language without personal opinions or promotional content.