Poetry after Auschwitz: An Italian Perspective Bethany Sarah Gaunt University College London PhD Thesis I, Bethany Sarah Gaunt, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. ……………………………………………………………………………………. [Signature] 1 Abstract This thesis offers a critical engagement with poetry about Auschwitz1 in all its various permutations, addressing issues such as why poetry is a particularly valuable form of Holocaust expression, and why different social groups have historically chosen to, and continue to, write poetry about Auschwitz. Adopting an analytical approach, this work foregrounds the poetical works themselves, in order to demonstrate how poetry facilitates an engagement with the past, for both the writer and reader (or indeed, singer and listener). Beginning with the work of those who experienced the Nazi camps first-hand, chapter one discusses the poetry of two survivors, Edith Bruck (b. 1932) and Primo Levi (1919-1987), identifying three driving motivations behind survivor- writing: to memorialise, to inform and to assist in the writer’s cathartic rehabilitation after Auschwitz. The second chapter offers a comparative analysis of two poems by Salvatore Quasimodo (1901-1968) and two of Francesco Guccini's (b. 1940) canzoni d'autore, exploring how these two artists introduced Auschwitz into their respective genres, and how they interpreted and enacted what they perceived as art's post-Holocaust imperative: to rebuild mankind. Chapter three engages with Italian translations of Paul Celan's (1920-1970) famous 'Todesfuge', exploring the significance of translators in the dissemination of Holocaust writing, and their role as expert intermediate readers. The chapter champions reading multiple translations in parallel, and demonstrates the ways in which different translators foreground different elements of the original work. Finally, chapter four offers an assessment of online poetry about Auschwitz. By focusing on Italian poetry website “Scrivere” and the work of Giorgia Spurio (b. 1986), this chapter discusses the democratisation of art online, the extra-textual possibilities the internet offers, and how these contemporary poems build upon 1 Intended metonymically to stand for the Holocaust. 2 previous Holocaust poems, perpetuating the poetical discussion of the Holocaust for a new generation of readers. 3 Impact Statement Public interest and formal study of the Holocaust continues to grow, and the imperative to deepen our understanding of the events of the past becomes more pressing as the number of survivors dwindle. This thesis offers a new approach to the poetry written about Auschwitz and demonstrates ways in which this body of literature can be studied in order to develop our comprehension, not only of what survivors underwent in the camps, but also of how society has attempted to come to terms with the Holocaust in the decades afterwards. This work has much to offer the academic fields of literature, Italian studies and history in terms of new methodologies and pioneering areas of research. The thesis adapts an existing literary approach which has traditionally focused on understanding a text, in order to facilitate an understanding of what the text means in a wider sense, as a window into a survivor’s unique insight into the Holocaust, and a reflection of society’s response to atrocity. A chapter on internet poetry also breaks new ground, offering a working methodology for the curation and presentation of online texts, as well as an example of how to engage with and comment on the extra-textual dimensions of this growing body of works. Despite the exponential growth of internet-usage in recent years, the study of online texts has not yet become mainstream within academia, and this thesis provides evidence of the value and utility of focusing on these emerging works. The methodology adopted and advocated in this thesis for engaging with poetical texts is also of benefit for a non-academic audience, as was demonstrated by the enthusiasm with which my poetry-reading tutorials were met during a series of talks to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in Faenza in 2013. Groups of school children, as well as adult members of the general public, appreciated the way in which I explained how poetry analysis offers a new understanding of the Holocaust. The focused study of poetry, and appreciation of its nuanced and revelatory nature, encourages readers to look beyond the surface of a text to the intimate insights contained within. This practice of looking beyond the obvious 4 teaches empathy, engagement and focus, attributes which are of value in all areas of life. It is hoped that, through journal publication, the literary approach championed in this thesis will gain traction, and will encourage academic readers to more actively and confidently pursue the study of poetry. The pioneering discussion of online literature is an area which will be of interest to academics and non- academics alike, and which affords the opportunity for collaboration between these groups. Further educational work in schools and public lectures would help to facilitate the focused study of poetry as a valuable means of engaging with the intimate experiences of writers from all walks of life. 5 Acknowledgments I have been extremely fortunate to be supported by an AHRC studentship throughout my MA and PhD research at UCL, without which I would have been unable to continue my studies. I’m very grateful for this financial support, and for my supervisors and the Italian department at UCL for their faith in my research. My supervisors, Florian Mussgnug and Bob Lumley, have been unstinting in their encouragement and guidance, and I feel very lucky to have had the benefit of their knowledge, support and understanding over the past 5 years. I have also received invaluable assistance from a number of scholars around the world, and I would like to mention Jean Boase-Beier, Diletta D’Eredità, Elisa Guida, Rachel Haworth and Emanuela Patti, all of whom gave me much-needed words of encouragement and suggestions for further reading along the way. I also benefitted greatly from their research, which has guided and shaped my own approach to poetry after Auschwitz. I have been fortunate enough to meet Edith Bruck on two occasions, and will be forever grateful for the generosity of spirit she demonstrated in inviting me into her home and allowing me to discuss her poetry and life at length. Those moving conversations were a huge source of inspiration for my research, and inspiring on a fundamental human level. This work would not exist without the brave writings of those survivors who lived through the very worst and chose to share their stories with us, I will be forever indebted to them for their courageous decision to write about their experiences. My thanks are also extended to another poet discussed in this thesis, Giorgia Spurio, who kindly granted me permission to study and reproduce her poetry. I was honoured to be examined by Robert Gordon and Carlotta Ferrara degli Uberti, whose own work I admire greatly. I am also deeply grateful for the 6 flexibility they demonstrated in agreeing to work to such a tight schedule, and for making the viva an enjoyable and stimulating experience. Finally, my most heartfelt thanks to my family and friends, who are too many to name, for their unwavering support. To Holly, Bea and Sonya for always being interested (or pretending very well!) in my progress, to my in-laws Mary and Stephen for maintaining a constant degree of pressure at every get together, to my sister-in-law Steph for musical delights along the way, to Jo for the banter, companionship and sympathy and, along with Helen, for providing such great hospitality around Europe. To my large and loving family: my grandparents, (great-)aunts, uncles, cousins, my brothers Ben and Zander, my sister-in-law Stef and new nephew Oliver for giving me so much to enjoy outside of my studies. I struggle to find the words to thank my parents, Jan and David, who have never doubted me, always seen the best in me and encouraged me every step of the way. I am so grateful to have such wonderful, generous, and loving parents. You kept me going. My husband, Alex, and our eldest daughter, Penelope, have filled my days with sunshine and my love for them is boundless. Together with beautiful Hermione, who joined in for the ride and kept me company in the final months of this work, and who arrived to complete our family exactly a week after my viva, I’d like to thank them for every precious moment and every smile of encouragement. It is to my parents, Alex and our own little family that I dedicate this work. 7 Table of contents Abstract ............................................................................................................. 2 Impact Statement .............................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 6 Table of contents ............................................................................................... 8 List of figures ................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 12 Italy and the Holocaust ...............................................................................