Florence, A Walk With A View Comments

To see this photo and read your poem takes me back to my visit to Florence in mid-1974. I saw every I saw most of the artistic masterpieces.

I've been to Florenza for 3 times, each in a different mood. Last time I visited there, the stone paved streets were reflecting the evening glow. In front of Dante Aligheli's former residence I saw a family of pigeon basking under the last tint of sunlight. It was unforgettable.

Ich liebe Czechowski! it'sso beautiful to read a quote from him in your beautiful poem!

The poem and the photo take me back to my visit to Florence in 1974. I particularly like the reference to Galileo, and 'leave behind any anger and pain'. M. Walker.

You have an impeccable capability of articulating.. Good luck

well.. here it is a translation of my reply to Pamela Sinicrope - for the readers who can't understand Italian - Dear Pam, once again, you delved into the ‘spirit’ of a poem that means a lot to me, catching not only the text references but also those feelings that accompanied me that late afternoon, walking down from the top of the hill of Arcetri.. Having seen those places through your own eyes, walking there yourself, helped you to get into the spirit of my poem, but it’s your analytical skill, mediated by a keen intelligence and fine sensitivity (qualities that allow you to delve deep into my verses) , to make you such an excellent Literary Critic. From this point of view, being a Critic and a fine Poet yourself, you have done justice to Czechowski and me.. Thank you, my dear friend.

Florence, A Walk With A View, by Frosini, is an exercise in perspective, borne out in one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world. Florence is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and was once the birthplace of the Renaissance. Beauty, nature, scenery, amazing architecture, art, and culture abound in this magical place. If this poem were written by anyone else, I would assume I was about to go on a one-dimensional poetic journey of beauty. However, with Frosini, I am usually prepared for a layer of darkness and philosophy and a requirement to use my brain…to think! . This poem is no different as it opens with verse written in German by the poet, Czechowski, who experienced the destruction of Dresden, or “Florence on the Elbe, as a young child of 10. He wrote many poems about his experience of the bombing and destruction of Dresden during WWII; most focusing on the idea that once things are broken they cannot be put back together again, among other melancholic themes. So back to stanza one, we are now seeing a bird’s eye view of Florence, from atop a hill, close to an observatory (capable of viewing an entire solar system) , right at the birthplace of Galileo. The lines /’At the first shadows…step by step-absorbed/ In thoughts-you descended/…places YOU the reader atop the hill, feeling melancholy, as the sun is setting (‘/lit up by the silky lights of the/Sunset.’/) , darkness is descending on a beautiful city, yet YOU are thinking about the destruction of Dresden as you view Florence fading into darkness. As you walk down into the city center in the second stanza, Frosini, returns to the words of the German Poet, “«Who is not melancholic / here he becomes such.», 'Self-portrait, Florence'. Here I imagine that German Poet looking out on the dazzling view of Florence, and instead seeing Dresden, or the Dresden that once was and could have been, but will NEVER be. This is very sad indeed. Personally, I have taken this walk (though not at sunset) , and it is not for the faint of heart. It is a walk! There is plentry of time to labor and think; and for the sun to set and darkness to descend. The final line of the stanza /’Your heart melt at the sight around’/ refers to the stunning beauty paired with the melancholic lens Frosini puts over the reader’s eyes. There is such potential in mankind, yet we seem to have this self-destructive and violent potential as well, that repeats over and over again in our history of war and destruction. The final stanza puzzles me. We revert from a quiet, thoughtful, melancholic, walk, to a revelatory one, When the speaker declares in the first line, ‘/Behold! Leave behind any anger and pain, /…Now it is as if, the speaker is having a conversation with both the reader as well as Czechowski…He is sharing this philosophic truth, that ‘/Because there is but one path to follow: / Our own -In loneliness. With the melancholy/That accompanies all of us to our final/Destination. And then darkness descends on everything. The sun has set. I suppose this means that despite all the destruction of Dresden, despite the beauty of Florence, the positives and negatives of mankind, we still all die alone. Maybe in acceptance of such a melancholic truth, one can find peace with our Earth and the state of mankind. I felt very close to this poem, I found myself on this walk, as I remembered my time in Florence and my own melancholic state of mind when I was there. This is a special poem. You have a way with incorporating layers of meaning through such a small space in your words, your parsed language and your light and dark imagery. Thanks for writing and for sharing such a beautiful poem. Grazie Mille Fabrizio!

Behold! Leave behind any anger or pain Because there is but one path to follow Our own, in loneliness- - - - - - - - - Beautiful the way you describe our inner loneliness.We walk that melancholy to our final destination, the Grave.

Today I've read a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that I didn't know.. it is 'DANTE'. Here is the opening lines: ''Tuscan, that wanderest through the realms of gloom, With thoughtful pace, and sad, majestic eyes, '' - my ITALIAN translation of them: ''O Toscano, che vaghi per i regni della malinconia, (*) Con passo pensoso, e tristi e maestosi occhi, '' - - - (*) I've preferred translating 'malinconia' and not 'oscurità', because 'Divina Commedia' is not only 'INFERNO', but also 'PURGATORIO' and 'PARADISO'

'Behold! Leave behind any anger and pain, Because there is but one path to follow: Our own -In loneliness. With the melancholy That accompanies all of us to our final Destination.' A beautiful passage.. It is true that I had never been there but I could almost feel myself soaking in the beauty of the place and the walk.. What struck me most was that even amidst the melancholy and sadness there was a strange sense of calmness... It's really wonderful. Sometimes what we lack the most is this serenity. This profound calmness amidst the usual hurly-burly of life.. A soothing poem Fabrizio, filled with rich imagery and history of Florance...

A walk with a view- - ah sweet melancholy

In the silky light of sunset, Florence must be a beautiful sight to behold! When I think of Florence and look at the picture, I remember the description of Florence in the poem Andrea del Sarto by Robert Browning! Andrea is a Renaissance painter! One evening, the painter with his beloved Lucrezia look out of their window and sees Florence bathed in the setting sun's light! They must have seen a Florence of the one in this photo, I suppose! Lovely poem with many cross references!

I wish I could visit there to absorb your words better Doctor! Melancholy is a bitter sweet feeling I usually enjoy! And what a beautiful photo! ! ! Thank you!

thank you all for your comments

This inspiration can only be gotten when taking a walk. I love this one, shows you pay attention to your soul. Thanks for sharing

Oh god! me and my best friend are saving for a trip to Italy.. its wonderful to know its going to be worth it! thanks to your poem!

melancholy and beauty. a poignant poem that I've added to my list

I went through your poem 'Florence, a walk with a view' and its poet's note. I liked the poem best.Nicely envisioned. Aptly and beautifully you have presented the poem, Many thanks for sharing.

Lovely, a real nice piece of work! Thanks for sharing, Fabrizio!

it is a pleasure reading this beautiful poem, both in English and Italian thank you for sharing