Leopardi A Study in Solitude Author:Iris Origo Biography. Giacomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837) is widely considered the greatest Italian poet since Dante. He was a scholar and philosopher whose outstanding scholarly and philosophical works and superb poetry place him in the pantheon of great 19th-century writers. Iris Origo's masterful biography is an incisive psychological portrait of the melanch... more »oly, semi-cloistered, hunchback poet whose genius, pain, and frustrated hopes found their outlet in poetry admired for its brilliance, intensity and seemingly effortless musicality.« less