La Poétique de la mort: La poésie Italo-canadienne et italo-québécoise aujourd'hui

The authors note that in the works of Italian-Canadian and Italian-Quebec poets, the theme of death is intimately linked to the immigrant experience. Death embodies more than the end of life; it is symbolically transformed into a cultural death. Often, the authors explain, these poets seem unable to transgress the perpetual marginalisation, total assimilation and silent, invisible indifference in their daily lives and in their writing. Whatever cultural situation the migrant poet finds himself in, there will necessarily be some loss of his culture of origin. They conclude that the fascination with death is seen by these poets as a cultural cry from the dominated to the dominant, and as a reaction against isolation and silence.

Studies in Canadian Literature / Études en littérature Canadienne

Vol. 12

no. 2

161-176

Summer 1987

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