Giuseppe Parini

Parini, Giuseppe (jūzĕp'pā pärē'nē), 1729-99, Italian poet, a priest and teacher. He was a professor and a superintendent of schools in Milan; a liberal, Parini became (1796) a government official in the Napoleonic occupation. Best known of his verse is The Day (4 parts, 1763-1804; tr. 1927), a mock-didactic poem that satirizes the arrogance and depravity of the nobility. Parini's style was polished and reminiscent of classical Latin; he was widely emulated during the national revival. He also wrote lyrics, a drama, critical essays, and dialogues.