Porta, Carlo

Born June 15, 1775, in Milan; died there Jan. 5, 1821. Italian poet.

Porta wrote in the Milanese dialect. His early political satires were directed against Napoleonic domination. Later, Porta attacked the reactionary political regime and the Austrian monarchy. A master of social caricature, he derided aristocratic pretensions and denounced social inequality. He was known for his attacks on the church—the caustic social caricatures The Adventures of Father Diodate, The Miracle, The Prayer, The Vision, and The War of the Priest —written in the manner of Rabelais and Boccaccio. Porta also wrote lyric poetry and comic sketches of everyday life, in which he depicted ordinary people with great sympathy. His poetry is distinguished by colorful, almost colloquial language, abounding in folkloric images.