Breakdown of Essi sono diventati immortali per queste rime.
essere
to be
queste
these (feminine)
per
for / in order to / because of
diventare
to become
immortale
immortal
la rima
the rhyme
essi
they (masculine, literary)
Questions & Answers about Essi sono diventati immortali per queste rime.
I usually see loro for "they". Why does this sentence use essi?
Essi is a formal or literary subject pronoun for the masculine plural "they". In everyday spoken Italian, you will almost exclusively hear loro. However, in literature, historical texts, or formal writing, essi (and its feminine counterpart esse) are used to elevate the tone. The use of essi here signals that this sentence belongs to a formal or poetic context, which fits perfectly with the idea of rhymes making someone immortal.
Why is the auxiliary verb essere used here (sono diventati) instead of avere?
The verb diventare (to become) indicates a change of state. In Italian, verbs that describe a change of state, a change of location, or a lack of movement almost always take essere in compound tenses like the passato prossimo. Because we use essere, the past participle must agree with the subject, changing to the masculine plural diventati to match essi.
Doesn't per usually mean "for"? How does it mean "because of" here?
While per most commonly translates to "for", it is also frequently used to indicate a cause or reason, translating to "because of", "due to", or "out of". In this sentence, per queste rime means they achieved immortality as a direct result of these rhymes. You could also use a causa di queste rime, but per is very natural and maintains the poetic rhythm.
Does the word rime just mean literal rhymes here?
Rime is the plural of rima (rhyme). Just like in English, while it literally means "rhymes", in a literary context it often acts as a figure of speech representing "poems" or "poetry" in general. This figurative meaning is a perfect match for the elevated, literary tone set by the formal pronoun essi.
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