The life of Dino Campana is perplexing, both because it was very troubled and because the documentation and first-hand accounts of it are fragmentary. Scholars are still attempting to make sense of the order of its events, not so much to satisfy biographical curiosity, but rather because the dates and places of the poet’s brief activity are indispensable to an understanding of his only book,
Canti Orfici(
Orphic Songs, 1914).
Campana was born on August 20, 1885 in Marradi (Florence) into a wealthy family. His difficult relationship with his mother, who denied him all affection and who openly preferred his younger brother, may have been at the root of the mental disturbances he suffered, which became more acute in 1900. While even prior to adolescence he had exhibited a violent and
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Citation: Meschiari, Matteo. "Dino Campana". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 February 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12567, accessed 25 November 2024.]
