Gabriele D’Annunzio summary

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Gabriele D’Annunzio.

Gabriele D’Annunzio, (born March 12, 1863, Pescara, Italy—died March 1, 1938, Gardone Riviera, Italy), Italian writer and military hero. He was a journalist before turning to poetry and fiction. His prodigious output includes The Child of Pleasure (1889), introducing the first of his many passionate Nietzschean-Superman heroes; The Triumph of Death (1894), his best-known novel; Alcyone (1904), considered his greatest poetic work; and the powerful play The Daughter of Jorio (1904). His works are marked by egocentrism, fluent and melodious style, and an overriding emphasis on sensual gratification. He urged Italy’s entry into World War I, in which he distinguished himself militarily. In 1919 he set himself up as dictator of the port city Fiume in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles and effectively secured it for Italy; he was forced to step down in 1920. He later became an ardent fascist. His eloquence, daring, political leadership, extravagant spending, and scandalous affairs (especially with Eleonora Duse) made him one of the most striking personalities of his day.

autobiography Summary

Autobiography, the biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Autobiographical works can take many forms, from the intimate writings made during life that were not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to a formal book-length

Eleonora Duse Summary

Eleonora Duse was an Italian actress who found her great interpretive roles in the heroines of the Italian playwright Gabriele D’Annunzio and of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Most of Duse’s family were actors who played in the same touring troupe, and she made her first stage appearance at

poetry Summary

Poetry, literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm. (Read Britannica’s biography of this author, Howard Nemerov.) Poetry is a vast subject, as old as history and

short story Summary

Short story, brief fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel and that usually deals with only a few characters. The short story is usually concerned with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few significant episodes or scenes. The form encourages economy of setting, concise