Michele Ruggieri, an Italian Jesuit who settled in the Mainland China during the late Ming Dynasty, composed 34 metrical poems in Chinese. These poems hold a unique distinction as they constitute the sole collection of Chinese metrical poems written by Europeans between 1500 and 1900, making them unprecedented. This paper begins by exploring Michele Ruggieri’s study materials for metrical poetry, primarily his handwritten manuscript of “Poetic Rhyme”, to unravel the underlying process of his metrical poetry poetry studies. Subsequently, it analyzes his poetry writing from three core aspects of metrical poetry composition: the metrical application of modern-style poetry; the requirement for balanced vocabulary within verses; the incorporation of classical allusions within the poems. Additionally, through an in-depth analysis of the content of these poems, the paper discusses Ruggieri’s study of and utilization of Qian-Jia-Shi in his poetic composition. The most distinctive feature of Ruggieri’s poetry writing lies in the integration of Chinese and Western literature within the poems, including the pioneering introduction of Aesop’s Fables in poetic form. As a result, Michele Ruggieri’s poems stand as a highly distinctive collection in the history of Ming Dynasty poetry.
Michele Ruggieri, uno dei primi gesuiti italiani a stabilirsi nella Cina continentale durante la fine della dinastia Ming, scrisse trentaquattro poesie cinesi in stile antico, che rappresentano l’unico gruppo di poesie metriche cinesi scritte da un europeo tra il 1500 e il 1900, un’opera senza precedenti. Questo articolo inizia esplorando il manoscritto “Shiyun” (诗韵, Libro delle rime o Rimario) che Ruggieri usò per apprendere la metrica poetica, per svelare il processo alla base del suo apprendimento. Successivamente, l’articolo analizza le sue poesie in base ai requisiti fondamentali della composizione poetica metrica, ovvero tre aspetti principali: l’uso della metrica secondo il jin tishi 近体诗 (stile moderno), i requisiti di parallelismo lessicale nei versi e l’uso delle citazioni classiche all’interno delle poesie. Contemporaneamente, attraverso un’analisi approfondita del contenuto di queste poesie, l’autore discute lo studio e l’utilizzo dell’antologia “Qianjia Shi” (千家诗, Poesie di mille scrittori) da parte del gesuita. La caratteristica principale della scrittura poetica di Ruggieri è infatti l’integrazione di elementi di letteratura cinese e occidentale nelle sue poesie, come testimoniato dall’introduzione pioneristica delle “Favole di Esopo” in forma poetica cinese. Pertanto, le poesie di Ruggieri sono diventate una delle raccolte poetiche più caratteristiche nella storia della poesia della dinastia Ming.
Primo incontro tra le culture cinese e occidentale: uno studio sulle poesie cinesi di Michele Ruggieri
Magnani Arianna
2024-01-01
Abstract
Michele Ruggieri, an Italian Jesuit who settled in the Mainland China during the late Ming Dynasty, composed 34 metrical poems in Chinese. These poems hold a unique distinction as they constitute the sole collection of Chinese metrical poems written by Europeans between 1500 and 1900, making them unprecedented. This paper begins by exploring Michele Ruggieri’s study materials for metrical poetry, primarily his handwritten manuscript of “Poetic Rhyme”, to unravel the underlying process of his metrical poetry poetry studies. Subsequently, it analyzes his poetry writing from three core aspects of metrical poetry composition: the metrical application of modern-style poetry; the requirement for balanced vocabulary within verses; the incorporation of classical allusions within the poems. Additionally, through an in-depth analysis of the content of these poems, the paper discusses Ruggieri’s study of and utilization of Qian-Jia-Shi in his poetic composition. The most distinctive feature of Ruggieri’s poetry writing lies in the integration of Chinese and Western literature within the poems, including the pioneering introduction of Aesop’s Fables in poetic form. As a result, Michele Ruggieri’s poems stand as a highly distinctive collection in the history of Ming Dynasty poetry.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
