Maltese literature under the Knights of St. John (1530-1798)

Abstract

The article provides a brief systematic account of the literary activity of Maltese and foreign writers in Malta under the Knights of St. John (1530-1798). It starts with establishing the nature and extent of the Italian literary tradition in the island and the ways in which local writers participated in the literary life of neighbouring Italy. The recognition of the presence of epic sentiment is given due consideration since the epic form is one of the major poetic genres discussed. The paper also seeks to identify the relationship between Maltese, the older native tongue, and Italian, the main and almost exclusive medium of literary expression during the period.