Environmental elements in Maltese literature : nature as metaphor

Abstract

The history of Maltese literature reflects to a great extent the gradual emergence of a small nation in search of itself and eventually fully aware of its identity. The romantic revival has meant to Malta much more than what it has meant to most of the other countries . It signified above anything else the need for the island to discover its own language and to embark on the task of forming an indigenous literature, namely in Maltese, the traditionally downtrodden language derived from Arabic, spoken by all, actually written sporadically by quite a few. [excerpt]