Robert Frost’s translations in Italy have been monopolised by a single translator. So far, Frost has been included in five anthologies of American, or of English and American poets (translated by five different authors), while only two Italian editions of his poetry have been printed, both edited by the Italian poet Roberto Giudici. The main issue with that predominance is how much is this ‘Italian selection’ of poems representative of Frost’s oeuvre; indeed, many works by Frost have never been translated into Italian. The lack of these texts might be a serious obstacle to the complete appreciation of the author’s achievement as a poet. Beside the influence on the Italian scholars exerted by the harsh criticism of some American critics, one of the reasons behind such a difficult reception could be related to the low translatability of the author’s poetry. Some of the difficulties entailed in this task and the choice of certain words in the Italian translations are here analysed and discussed. Some historical and cultural circumstances have also contributed to the prevention of a full blossoming of Frost’s recognition in Italy.
