An Ancient Language for a Modern Soul: Poemi Conviviali by Giovanni Pascoli

About An Ancient Language for a Modern Soul: Poemi Conviviali by Giovanni Pascoli

www.poemiconviviali.com Greek mythology permeates our world to this day, with countless retellings of stories that never cease to capture our imagination. What happens to Helen of Troy when the city falls? What does Achilles do after returning Hector’s body to Priam? How did Homer become blind? These and other questions are addressed in Giovanni Pascoli’s splendid poetic collection Poemi Conviviali, first published in Italy in 1904. Poemi Conviviali is not only a superb retelling of timeless stories, but also a true masterpiece of European modernism and an example of world literature. In 2022 British poet James Ackhurst and Italian/British scholar Elena Borelli published a complete translation of Poemi Conviviali into English entitled Convivial Poems. Other renowned translators, such as Robert Nugent, Egidio Lunardi, Geoffrey Brock, Taije Silverman, Marina Della Putta Johnston, Deborah Brown, Richard Jackson, and Sarah Thomas have also translated some of these magnificent poems into English. After its publication, Convivial Poems became a performance, in which the reading of the poems was accompanied by the magic sound of the Celtic harp, an instrument dating back to ancient Egypt. Now, in 2024, commemorating 120 years since the book's first edition, Poemi Conviviali/ Convivial Poems embarks on a new journey as a podcast. Our ambition is to dedicate an episode to each poem, delving into the enthralling tales that inspired Giovanni Pascoli. Esteemed scholars and translators will join our discussions, providing invaluable insights. Listeners will have the opportunity to experience the poems in English, recited by talented actors and actresses and accompanied by evocative music. Visit the podcast’s website for more information and bonus material www.poemiconviviali.com

Publisher

Elena Borelli

Category

arts · fiction · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Apr 2019

Latest episode

2 Nov 2025

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Nov 2025

   Episode 20: The Last Voyage (Part II)

   In this episode, we conclude the poem “The Last Voyage” by listening to its remaining ten cantos. Having set out on a journey in search of his past, Odysseus revisits many of the places he had encountered during his return to Ithaca: the island of Circes, the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus, and the rocks where the Sirens sing their alluring song of wisdom. What Odysseus seeks is an answer to the question of his identity: who he is, and what he has lived for. The final shipwreck will bring him to the remote island of the goddess Calypso.

2. 

   26 Oct 2025

   Episode 19: The Last Voyage (Part 1)

   With its twenty-four cantos, “The Last Voyage” is the longest poem in the Conviviali collection. Pascoli imagines Odysseus in Ithaca, in his old age, after many peaceful years as king of the island. Odysseus, however, wants to relive his youth and see the places he stopped by during his perilous voyage back from Troy, which is the content of the Odyssey.  In this episode, we will listen to the first fourteen cantos of the poem.

3. 

   25 Sept 2025

   Episode 18: Silenus

   This episode is devoted to the poem “Silenus”. The protagonist is the Greek sculptor Scopas, who lived in the 4th century BC. In the poem, a young Scopas discovers the statue of a silenus in a quarry on his native island of Paros. Sileni were mythical creatures similar to satyrs, and companions of the god Dionysus. When Scopas looks into the eyes of the Silenus, he has a vision of the myths and figures he will later sculpt in marble. The poem, therefore, offers a reflection on the Dionysian nature of artistic creativity.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

436,335,436

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact An Ancient Language for a Modern Soul: Poemi Conviviali by Giovanni Pascoli

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.