Velimir Chlebnikov: un mito sempre vivo

Velimir Khlebnikov: a Myth Alive and Well. In this paper we try to identify the main traits that formed the "myth " of Velimir Khlebnikov, which he himself and his fellow-futurists helped to create from the very beginning of his literary activity. He was certainly an unusual character, who never had any material belongings or a permanent home and was continually on the move like a wanderer-pilgrim. He called himself a prophet and dedicated himself exclusively to poetry and literature. At the beginning of his literary career, he earned great renown because of his linguistic experiments and coinages. He also had a deep belief in science and on this rational basis he researched the laws of time in order to understand the cycles of peace and war in history and prevent future wars. For the same purpose he worked on the creation of a universal language that would unite humankind. In Italy the translations of his poems and the seminal essay on his poetics by scholar and poet Angelo Maria Ripellino contributed to the creation of a specific, Italian, image of Khlebnikov. This, however, has hindered further and systematic translations of his works, both in poetry and in prose, although the myth of this poet and his fascination are still alive and well in this country.