Umberto Saba: The Poetics of Simple Honesty from the Northeast

Umberto Saba (Trieste, March 9, 1883 – Gorizia, August 25, 1957) is celebrated for his poetic style marked by simplicity and honesty. Born with the surname Poli, he adopted 'Saba' as a tribute to his mother's Jewish heritage, as 'Saba' means 'grandfather' in Hebrew. His work is characterized by a straightforward language and themes drawn from everyday life, including his beloved Trieste, the sea, personal loves, childhood, and reflections on nature. Saba's difficult childhood, raised by Slovenian nanny Gioseffa Gabrovich Schobar (Peppa Schobar) without a father figure, deeply influenced his poetry. He suffered from depression and underwent analysis with Dr. Edoardo Weiss, who also treated Italo Svevo. Saba formed significant friendships with poets Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, who supported him during the racial laws in Italy. After World War II, he lived in Rome and Milan, collaborated with Corriere della Sera, won the Premio Viareggio, and published aphorisms under the title 'Scorciatoie' and a commentary on his Canzoniere under the pseudonym Giuseppe Carimandrei. He received an honorary degree from Sapienza University of Rome. Saba died in Gorizia in 1957, leaving the novel 'Ernesto' unfinished. His epitaph reads: 'Parlavo vivo a un popolo di morti. Morto alloro rifiuto e chiedo oblio.'