<hi rend="c">Ciullo d'Alcamo. “Dialogue</hi>. Lover and Lady.” Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 1846-1847
a4b3c4b3d 4b3 sestet, iambic; alternating trimeter and tetrameter dialogue
<artist/> <location/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnpictorial> <citnmythic> <name/> <culture/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnmythic> <citnhistorical> <event/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnhistorical> <citnautobiographical> <name/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnautobiographical> <citnscenic> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnscenic> </listcitn> </source> <commentaries> <head>Commentary</head> <section type="intro"> <head>Introduction</head> <p>DGR placed this translation at the head of both his 1861 and 1874 collections. The placement is significant for two reasons: first, it points to the important historical fact that the <hi rend="i">stil novo</hi> movement traced its roots back to the Sicilian school, of which Cielo (or “Ciullo”) D'Alcamo was an important member; and second, it subtley calls attention to the relation between DGR's own work and the early Italian writers of the dugento and trecento. The rhyme scheme of <xref doc="a.1-1847.s244.raw"> <title level="wrk">“The Blessed Damozel” , then and still DGR's signature poem, follows the scheme of Ciello's dialogue (but excluding the final couplet) as DGR knew the poem from his source text in <hi rend="i">Poeti del Primo Secolo</hi> (I. 1-15).

The translation often moves in quasi-prose rhythms and might therefore be judged a clumsy effort. These seem to me studied effects, however, designed to imitate the character of the original work, which is anything but smooth, with none of the sophisticated elegance of the later stil novo style.

Textual History: Composition

The date of this translation can be confidently dated 1846-47 because of the metrical relation between Cielo's dialogue and DGR's “The Blessed Damozel” .

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception

Iconographic

Printing History

The translation was first published in 1861 in <hi rend="i">The Early Italian Poets</hi> ; it was reprinted in 1874 in <hi rend="i">Dante and his Circle</hi> .

Pictorial

A drawing for this poem exists which seems to be by DGR.

Historical

Literary

DGR's discussion of his source text dates Ciello's dialogue poem much too early. It was composed sometime between 1231-1250. Dante quotes from his verse in the <hi rend="i">De Volgari Eloquio</hi> (I.xii.6), citing the work as an example of an early Sicilian style.

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

“Table of Poets” in <hi rend="i">Early Italian Poets</hi> vol. 1, xxiii-xxiv. Valeriani and Lampredi, <hi rend="i">Poeti del primo secolo</hi> vol. 1, 1-15. Panvini, <hi rend="i">Le Rime Della Scuola Siciliana</hi> vol. 1,169-176. Contini, Poeti del Duecento vol. 1, 175-185; vol. 2, 819

<hi rend="i">Dante and his Circle</hi> Text See WMR's note, (1911) ( <hi rend="i">Works</hi> [1911] 677 See WMR's note, (1911) <hi rend="i">Dante and his Circle</hi> Text The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300), the Fitzwilliam Proof Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300), the Alderman annotated copy Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300), Presentation Copy to Frederick Shields. Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300) (the Princeton illustrated copy) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets from Ciullo d'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300) (Proof Copy) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300), the Wrenn Proof Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 The Early Italian Poets From Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300), the Yale University Beinecke Library Proof Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1861 0 Dante and His Circle: With the Italian Poets Preceding Him (1100—1200—1300). Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1874 0 The Collected Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, vol. 2 (1886) Dante Gabriel Rossetti William Michael Rossetti 1886 0 The Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1911) Dante Gabriel Rossetti William Michael Rossetti 1911 0