Maltese poetry, 1960-1970

Abstract

The decade 1960-1970 was marked by the belated growth of a 'modernist' school of poets in Maltese Literature. In the first edition (1948) of the representative anthology compiled by Professor Aquilina, Il-Muza Maltija, all 22 poets included wrote in verse-forms adapted from traditional Italian poetry. In .the second edition (1964), 23 new poets were included, but of these only two, Achille Mizzi and the writer of this note, departed from the conventional forms. In the third edition (1970), 20 new names were added, of whom 6 can be counted as belonging to the 'modems', while several others show the influence of the new trends. These figures show that, at last, Maltese poetry is breaking out of the isolation from the modem world which marked the first period of its growth.