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Lucio Zinna was born near Trapani (Mazara del Vallo) in 1938. At twenty years old he moved to Palermo where he obtained his university degree in philosophy and pedagogy. He has remained in the area (Bagheria) alternating his various professional activities which consist of teaching with writing poetry, literary and artistic criticism, and editing a journal, Arenaria. Zinna has over 14 volumes of poetry in print from Al chiarore del alba, 1954 to the recent Poesie a mezz'aria, 2009. He has published three books of criticism and translated Paul Valéry's Cimetière marin. His poems have been included in various anthologies, for example, Tre generazioni di poeti italiani, edited by Giuliano Manacorda and Francesco De Nicola, 2005.
Most critics agree that the distinguishing element of Zinna's poetry is linguistic exploration, ricerca linguistica which translates into what is known in Italian as pastiche, that is, a vividly mixed lexicon. In Zinna's case it means that words from various linguistic registers (high and low), Greek and Latin, French, English, and Sicilian, technological terms, etc. are masterfully combined into a distinct style of Dantesque origin. Irony, humor, and pathos are also characteristic traits of Lucio Zinna's work.
This poem is a dirge for a departed cat, and it admirably balances pathos and humor concluding with a slightly profane plea for animal rights in paradise. This piece is quite moving and consists of an in-depth portrait of a beloved feline companion and his remarkable communicative skills, the saga of his death and his silent purring, and a final prayer to a perhaps absent God (“accogli/ nel tuo regno […] se davvero esiste da qualche parte”/ “Receive/ into your realm […] if it really exists somewhere”).
We were saddened to learn of the death of the poet, Lucio Zinna, who, although quite ill, graciously agreed to record his poem “Dirge for My Cat Raf” in its original Italian. We are honored to publish the poem, and we offer our sincere condolences to Mr. Zinna’s family.
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