Zef Serembe (Giuseppe, 1843–1901), Arbëresh lyric poet, was born in Strigar in Cosenza (Italy). He studied at the college of Saint Adrian (Calabria), where he had Jeronim de Rada as his teacher. In 1883, he published the volume of poems in Italian“Poesie Italiane e canti originali tradotti dell albanese” (“Italian poems and original songs translated from Albanian”). Many manuscripts of Serembe have been lost (among them a long poem and possibly some plays). The essence of Serembe’s creativity is the revolt against any form of national or social oppression as a simple man of the people. This also defined his character. After his death, his nephew, Cosmo Serembe, published part of his poetic creations in the collection “Vjersha” (“Poems”) (1926). Serembe extensively studied lyrics with diverse themes, creating patriotic, philosophical, social, and love lyrics. In the patriotic poems, called in open war against the Ottoman conqueror. Serembe’s poetry is a poem of colors and strong lights. His favorite figures are antitheses, metaphors and symbols. Zef Serembe continued the tradition of influence from folk poetry. (In the photo: Zef Serembe)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, pages 2317-2318.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zef_Serembe
Graphic processing: AHCF
