Bestiary images in the autobiographical book “The Butterfly of Dinard” by Eugenio Montale

The article explores the typology of the bestiary presented in the stories from Eugenio Montaleʼs autobiographical book “The Butterfly of Dinard”, which the poet himself perceived as a whole work and called a “quasi-novel”. Montaleʼs prose and poetry are united by themes, ideological content, and imagery, so his poems serve as valuable commentary on the book “The Butterfly of Dinard”. Of particular interest is the poetʼs epistolary heritage, which helps to reveal the autobiographical basis hidden behind the fiction. In the story “Get a Taste”, the eel appears to the protagonist as a link to the world of nature, reviving memories of childhood. In the poetʼs work, the eel is associated with moments of epiphany, serving as a symbol of resilience. The story “Clizia in Foggia” contains a surrealist insert episode, the main characters of which are insects. The metamorphosis described in the story refers to the circumstances of the poetʼs personal life and is imbued with self-irony. In the story “The Bat”, the animal serves as a messenger from the other world. The characters in the story “Relics” view their past through the prism of relationships with animals, whom they perceive as a miracle of nature, givers of hope, and prophets pointing the way. In the story “Falling Ash”, the snail acts as a magical helper, prompting the right decision. In “The Butterfly of Dinard”, animals become guides to the world of memories and, moreover, intermediaries between the knowable and the transcendent.