Alda Merini's "Gelosia": A Poet's Confession of Jealous Love
Alda Merini, the Italian poet, explores jealousy in her poem "Gelosia," featured in the collection *Io dormo sola*. She identifies herself as "una gelosa forsennata che mai guarirà." The poem opens gently with "Ti accarezzo piano sui capelli," but quickly shifts to a curse: "e maledizione a tutti / se qualche altra ti bacia." Merini illustrates jealousy as a painful emotion stemming from the dread of losing her loved one. She compares herself to "una bambina" observing her partner, lamenting the loss of his words that tie her to a profound truth. The concluding line, "e io sono sola," underscores her anxiety about isolation, a theme prevalent in her poetry, especially in *L'uovo di Saffo*. This article by Arianna Capirossi appeared on Artspecialday on September 29, 2026.
Fatti principali
- Alda Merini wrote the poem "Gelosia," included in the collection *Io dormo sola*.
- In the poem, Merini calls herself "una gelosa forsennata che mai guarirà".
- The poem begins with the line "Ti accarezzo piano sui capelli" and includes the curse "e maledizione a tutti / se qualche altra ti bacia".
- Merini describes herself as "una bambina" who watches her lover from below.
- The final line of "Gelosia" is "e io sono sola."
- The theme of solitude also appears in Merini's collection *L'uovo di Saffo*, with the line "io penso con terrore che la sera / non è stata principio di un amore."
- In *L'uovo di Saffo*, Merini writes "divento serpente di me stessa" and "mi sbrano e mi abbuio e mi spavento."
- The article was written by Arianna Capirossi for MIfacciodiCultura and published on Artspecialday on September 29, 2026.
Entità
Artisti
- Alda Merini
- Arianna Capirossi
Istituzioni
- Artspecialday
- MIfacciodiCultura