ENCHANTISM: A NEW POETIC MOVEMENT

In this post, I am reproducing the manifesto of a new poetic movement, signed by six Italian poets and open to anyone who feels they share this literary and artistic spirit:

Manifesto of Incantismo (Enchantism)

This Charter is not intended to be read as a rhetorical proclamation in the public squares of culture, but rather by the fireside, on beaches, in woods and villages, beside churches, in inhabited and abandoned places, in cafés, amidst the ruins of the present, and everywhere within the homes of men.

1. The Enchantist movement consists of a group of poets who share principles and formal traits that are today largely alien to mainstream literary activity. Its aim is, first and foremost, to re-emphasise the importance of the act of inspiration, so that the poet’s gaze upon reality is driven by that act. Argumentation takes a back seat to the translation into verse of the moment of inspiration; exhaustive introspection is decisively rejected. The movement is open to the participation of other poets.
2. Enchantism is the restoration in verse of the enchantment of reality. Its members are ‘the reserve of dreamers and poets’ mentioned by Ernst Jünger in one of his notes.
3. Verse embodies the essential moment of poetic creation and must be regarded as the essential unit of poetry, not merely as one of its components. For this reason, the Enchantist movement re-evaluates verse in itself, including short verse, without, however, feeling compelled to practise the latter. The Enchantist group does not regard the use of traditional metres as paramount, although these may be employed when they genuinely reflect poetic inspiration. The rhythm and melody of the verse, on the other hand, are considered essential. Consequently, the Enchantist verse is not strictly narrative, nor is it rhetorical; it does not conform artificially to literary conventions, nor does it bow to vulgar and flashy publishing trends; it is not excessively experimental, although it may resort to neologisms when the act of inspiration suggests it.
4. Enchantment must be understood as a form of inspiration interposed between subject and object. Inspiration is therefore not in the object, nor indeed in the subject – Enchantism specifically shuns all self-indulgent introspection – but in the particular relationship that is created between the two elements within a limited moment; and perhaps a fleeting one, were it not for the verse to capture it. Enchantist poets can trace the most remote origins of this moment to a reality that is not merely psychological. The Enchantist movement pays particular attention to aesthetic research on the theme of artistic inspiration and creative genius.
5. The principles of Enchantism are not new. They represent the revival, in the urgency of the present, of an ancient source of inspiration that has, to a greater or lesser extent, emerged in literature, transcending formalisms and literary fashions. Its characteristics can be identified in a variety of individual historical cases and naturally have theoretical precedents, in Italy and elsewhere, albeit partial ones. By way of example, the principle of the ‘objective correlative’ that Ezra Pound posited as the foundation of the creative act might at first glance be recognised in the Enchantists, but in the latter’s work it is not the object that is the aesthetic protagonist: rather, it is the medium, the atmospheric medium, the luminous vapour that connects the poetic subject to the object. There is no ‘correlative’—neither permanent nor transitory—but an enchantment to be seized before it vanishes. 
6. The Enchantist group recognises, among the models for its poetics, not only those Western poets most in tune with its principles, but also certain Eastern traditions. In particular, in certain forms of Far Eastern poetry, such as haiku, it sees a special relationship between inspiration and form.
7. Unlike other groups, the Enchantist movement does not set out to reform poetic production, nor to raise its standard. It does not in any way believe that its principles are the only ones of good poetry, nor does it intend to persuade anyone to adopt its methods. It has no militant-critical component, but seeks to be a clear and vibrant voice. It does not depend in any way on literary prizes or public honours, but exists through its very presence.

Sara Bini, Rodolfo Carone, Serena Cianti, Luca Gini, Valentina Meloni,  Andrea Polidori

The theoretical framework of Enchantism is the work of Marco Ruffilli, who coined the term and drafted the manifesto. This was approved collectively by the signatories, following a joint discussion of its theses, aims and expressions. Among the very first collections to embody the Enchantist poetics right from the title, preceding this manifesto, is InCanti diVersi by Sara Bini (2025).