Sermo absentium: Rhetoric, Epistolarity, and the Emergence of Italian Literary Culture
Scott Sims Millspaugh
Author(s): Millspaugh, Scott Sims | Advisor(s): Botterill, Steven Abstract: The goal of this dissertation is to propose a theory for the emergence Italian literary culture in Duecento, with particular reference lyric production Giacomo da Lentini and Guittone d'Arezzo, as well Dantean history Purgatorio XXIV XXVI. `Le origini', label long preferred by criticism describe period between 1230 1300, presupposes coherent national narrative framed, on one side, an irrepressible vernacular spirit that defies political fragmentation and, other, Italy's hard-won unification nineteenth century. Though studies has done much undermine fiction all periods literature, significant gaps scholarship remain Duecento. This due complications arising, first all, from traditional division disciplinary labor, but also condition record, which limited chronologically years around 1300 geographically Tuscany Bologna. A third challenge faced scholars thirteenth century overwhelming presence Dante, whose self-consciously ambitious Commedia, along De vulgari eloquentia, provides most complete, if problematically teleological, available period. Recent advances rhetoric - Ronald Witt's Two Latin Cultures Foundation Renaissance Humanism Medieval Italy have opened critical space non-teleological Duecento is, nevertheless, acutely aware Dante's influence. It within I intend formulate accounts not only writing practices thirteenth-century poets, structures their reception. argues three movements early poetry scuola siciliana, siculo-toscani, Dolce stil nuovo can mapped onto bifurcation medieval into `legal-rhetorical' documentary communes, emerged result Investiture Struggle eleventh twelfth centuries, revival Carolingian `traditional book culture' accompanied `rise signori' at end communal d'Arezzo results importation Occitan song discursive milieu defined ars dictaminis. effect practical rhetorical arts be seen, hand, its epistolary orientation, fully manifest sonnet, tenzone, canzoniere; pessimistic ambiguity Guittone's trobar clus, foregrounds troubling polysemy courtly signifiers. Toward century, however, renewed interest attends collapse commune, Commedia disparages association tradition `municipal' activities notaries dictatores. Instead, classicizing tendencies, nourished Brunetto Latini's Ciceronian revival, Paduan humanism, lead him reject outright, brings close stage development culture.