SOURCE: “The Image of the Sun in the Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis, the Sepolcri, and the Grazie of Ugo Foscolo,” in Italian Culture III, edited by Douglas Radcliff-Umstead, Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1983, pp. 63-70.

In the following essay, Santi explains how Foscolo uses images of sun and night, and light and dark to reflect the state of mind of Jacopo in The Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis. The critic further discusses Foscolo's use of this imagery in his poetic works, including The Sepulchres and The Graces.

A Central Passage relating to the image of the “sun” in the Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis is found at the end of the terse note of April 3rd. In the preceding discursive letter, Jacopo, while contemplating the deplorable condition of his country betrayed by the “Giovine Eroe” (Napoleon Bonaparte) had fallen into a dark melancholy state: “La gloria, il sapere...