On one hand a dandy poet of innumerable lovers, on the other an incomparable Bard, narrator, patriot, precursor of times, anticipator of modernity, D'Annunzio represented a model of behaviour, an ideal and a lifestyle embodied in Dannunzianesim – a vast range of approaches, from the fond gazing of a life lived with fullness to the contamination between life and art.

The identification of literature and life is the essential assumption of D’Annunzio’s art, which counters Giolitti’s Italian reality to aestheticism, that is, the religious cult of beauty: an inevitable product of D’Annunzio’s aestheticism was the discovery of Nietzsche, from whom he assimilated the myth of the Superman, artistically creating the unrealistic dreams of the middle class (physical strength and unbridled eroticism, the cult for adventure and contempt for the masses, the defence of order and the aspiration to National greatness); this human myth, explored in his novels as well as stage works, goes with the feminine myth of “femmes fatale”, antagonists of men in their affirmation – a feminine supermanism.

In his literary and novelistic production D'Annunzio transfers great part of his autobiographical experiences and creates human characters that exemplify Decadents’ taste, from Andrea Sperelli from the novel 'Il Piacere', to Claudio Cantelmo protagonist of the novel 'Le Vergini delle Rocce', until Mila, protagonist of the theatre work 'La Figlia di Iorio' and representative of the D’Annunzio’s feminine myth. D'Annunzio the poet goes from sensual ardour to a desire for purification, from heroes’ celebration -in 'Elettra' of the 'Laudi del cielo del mare della terra degli eroi'- to those of the Destiny of the Nation –with his 'Notturno', an example of the later D’Annunzio production – the one defined 'nocturnal'- which goes back to intimism, meditation and the discovery of others.

An important stage in the poet’s life was tied in with the First World War, with respect to which he holds a strong intervention position on the French press and later takes part with honour in the battles, distinguishing himself for his military and political commitment, receiving even the Gold Medal for Military Courage.