It seems you're referring to — likely the poem by Giuseppe Ungaretti from Il porto sepolto (often analyzed as "Oceano profondo" or simply "Oceano").
If you need a on Ungaretti's "Oceano" (or "Oceano profondo"), here is a clear, structured outline and a full model essay. Model Essay: The Infinite Within the Finite — Ungaretti's "Oceano" Introduction Giuseppe Ungaretti’s short poem "Oceano" (from Il porto sepolto , 1916) is a striking example of Hermetic poetry. In just a few verses, Ungaretti transforms a personal memory of bathing in the sea into a profound meditation on existence, memory, and the eternal. The ocean is not merely a natural element but a metaphor for the unconscious, for primordial life, and for the poet’s own search for identity amidst the trauma of World War I. The Ocean as Inner Space Unlike Romantic depictions of the sea as sublime and threatening, Ungaretti’s ocean is intimate . The poem opens with the image of the poet immersing himself not just physically but existentially: “E subito riprende / il mio viaggio” (And immediately my journey resumes) The word viaggio (journey) suggests that entering the ocean means entering the self. The water becomes a space where time collapses: childhood, past sensations, and the memory of the porto sepolto (buried port) — a symbol of lost origins and hidden truth — resurface. Thus, the ocean functions as the unconscious mind , where fragmented memories float like debris. Contrast Between Movement and Stillness Ungaretti masterfully plays with motion and stasis. On the surface, the sea moves; but beneath, the poet experiences a sensation of weightlessness and suspension. He writes of feeling: “come una foglia / appena nata” (like a leaf / just born) This simile evokes not only fragility but also rebirth . In the midst of war’s destruction, the ocean offers a temporary return to a prenatal state — a purification. The present participle navigare (to sail) becomes a verb of existence: to live is to navigate the unknown. Language and Hermetic Style The poem’s brevity is deliberate. Ungaretti eliminates punctuation, uses white space, and favors absolute nouns. Words like Oceano stand alone, charged with symbolic weight. This hermetic style mirrors the difficulty of expressing the inexpressible: the ocean of the soul. Each line is an island, and the reader must leap between them — just as the poet leaps between memory and sensation. Conclusion "Oceano" is not a poem about the sea, but a poem of the sea — a linguistic immersion into the fluid depths of human consciousness. For Ungaretti, writing becomes a way to survive the shipwreck of history. In the end, the ocean remains mysterious, but the act of diving into it is what gives life meaning. As the poet surfaces, he brings back not answers, but the courage to continue navigating. oceano prf