La lode e il biasimo nella «Storia» di De Sanctis

Abstract

The paper analyzes the language and style of De Sanctis’ value judgements in his Storia della letteratura italiana, with particular focus on the deep tonal swings and on his characteristic use of technical words with a positive or negative connotation. The paper then focuses on a stylistical analysis of De Sanctis’ forceful critique of Marino’s work. This analysis will reveal the critic’s constant effort to abide by a fair code of judgement, even when dealing with an author such as Marino, whose style is utterly incompatible with De Sanctis’ aesthetic beliefs.