ABSTRACT
Roberto Marchesini’s first published work is a lyric prose poem fable about the god Pan that is highly inflected with biological knowledge and observation. Following on his ethological and entomological studies with Giorgio Celli and many hours of field observations, Marchesini was moved to write this work which is equal parts scientific investigation and romantic praise of the natural world. Fitting into the ancient literary form of the fable, in which animals bear subjectivity, will, and personality, he writes an account that pays heed to the actions and interactions of a plethora of creatures. We might say that the fable is a form of natural history or natural literature. While it undoubtedly fits into a defined literary tradition, it also requires, and indeed centers upon, careful naturalistic observation.
