POLITICS AND POETICS OF EPIC IN THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE: RONSARD, DU BELLAY, AND D’AUBIGNÉ by JESSICA J. APPLEBY B.A., University of Colorado 2006 M.A., University of Colorado 2008 Master, Université Paris 3 Sorbonne-Nouvelle 2012 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of French and Italian 2017 ii This thesis entitled: Politics and Poetics of Epic in the French Renaissance: Ronsard, Du Bellay, and d’Aubigné written by Jessica J. Appleby has been approved for the Department of French and Italian Christopher Braider Suzanne Magnanini Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. iii Abstract Appleby, Jessica J. (Ph.D., French) Politics and Poetics of Epic in the French Renaissance: Ronsard, Du Bellay, and d’Aubigné Thesis directed by Professor Christopher Braider This dissertation examines the epic genre and its mutations from poetic and political perspectives during the sixteenth century. Renaissance poetic treatises acknowledged epic as the highest poetic form and the greatest aspiration of poets. A French imitation of the Aeneid would be the mark of national greatness, a poem to confirm France as the literary, cultural, and political successor to ancient Rome. It would both capture and foster national sentiment for a nation with imperial ambitions. However, any attempts to compose such a work either produce mediocre poetry or are so mutated in form that they can barely be labeled epic. The three texts that form the focal point of this dissertation (Pierre de Ronsard’s Franciade, Joachim du Bellay’s Antiquitez de Rome, and Agrippa d’Aubigné’s Tragiques) provide different angles to approach this problem. The Franciade represents an incomplete attempt at a strict imitation of the Aeneid, written by a court poet under the patronage of the king. As a relatively short sonnet sequence, the Antiquitez may be a surprising inclusion in a discussion on epic, but the text is set apart by its ability to draw on epic themes to lament the lost Roman Empire while providing a warning to France as a nation on the brink of civil war. As a Protestant account of the Wars of Religion, the Tragiques allows consideration of the conflict between national and religious sentiment as d’Aubigné ignores national and generic constraints to compose a text that is itself martial action. This thesis uses David Quint’s theories of epic’s politicization to explain France’s failure to produce its long-awaited epic. I conclude that despite the professed desire for a Virgilian epic, the political and social circumstances of sixteenth-century France render a true epic impossible. Politically, there is no victory and no empire, only the decent into civil war rather than emergence from one. The Reformation divides French society along faction lines, replacing a collective sense of Frenchness with the collectivity of distinct religious groups that transcends political boundaries. In sum, a study of epic’s politicization can illuminate Renaissance French conceptions of national identity. iv This dissertation is dedicated in memory of my mother, Linda Appleby. Though you only saw the beginning, you would be the most thrilled to see it finished. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would foremost like to thank the University of Colorado Department of French and Italian for their continued support, financial and otherwise, throughout the writing of this thesis. Similarly, I thank the University of Colorado Graduate School for their support through the summer dissertation fellowship and the Graduate Teacher Program. Most important for setting the tone of this process were the challenges and encouragement given to me by my advisor, Chris Braider. I feel fortunate to have written this dissertation under the umbrella of such an intellectually stimulating relationship. Additionally, I am grateful for Suzanne Magnanini, chair of French and Italian, for her support and advice in regards to this thesis, teaching, and my future career. The mentorships of Carmen Grace and Priscilla Craven were similarly invaluable through this process. I am also grateful for the constructive input I received at crucial moments from Andrea Frisch, Andy Cowell, Carole Newlands, and Jackie Elliot. It is impossible to overstate the importance of support from my family and friends. I am grateful for encouraging parents who have supported me in my professional goals. My partner Jason has been equally supportive and fulfilled the task of keeping me fed through the writing process. The CU French department has also brought a group of exceptional people into my life in the graduate student community. This dissertation would not exist without the camaraderie and stimulating discussions with many of these people. I look forward to future collaborations with many of them. I also thank my students, who remain my greatest motivation. Finally, perhaps the biggest thank you (or just a juicy steak) should go to my dogs, Canis and Nymeria, who always keep me company and without whom I would surely be lost. vi CONTENTS Abstract………………………..…………………..…………………………………. .ii Dedication………..………………………..…………………..………………………iii Acknowledgements..………..…………………..……………………………….…….iv CHAPTER Introduction: The Question of Epic in Renaissance France ..................................1 Virgil in Sixteenth-Century France .....................................................3 Epic and Nation...................................................................................9 Chapter Breakdown ..........................................................................14 I. Understanding the Heroic Genre in the Sixteenth Century ....................18 Problematic Terminology .................................................................20 Ancient Sources ................................................................................23 Imitation ............................................................................................30 Appropriation ....................................................................................41 Patronage...........................................................................................53 Du Bellay ..........................................................................................56 Ronsard .............................................................................................63 D’Aubigné.........................................................................................73 vii Conclusions .......................................................................................76 II. Ronsard and Virgilian Imitation: La Franciade .....................................78 Introduction to the Text ....................................................................79 Theory and Practice ..........................................................................88 Stylistic Considerations ....................................................................95 Decasyllables ..............................................................................96 Length of Text: Epic and Sonnet in Tension ..............................98 Language ...................................................................................104 Imitation ....................................................................................107 Ronsard’s Roman: Considerations of Genre ...................................119 The Epic Hero .................................................................................140 Choice of Subject ......................................................................142 Private Romance Hero ..............................................................148 Instruction of a Prince ...............................................................153 III. Du Bellay’s Antiquitez de Rome: Epic, Romance, and Sonnet .............156 Du Bellay’s Genera Mixta ..............................................................159 Du Bellay’s Choice of Petrarchan Sonnet ................................161 Epic Topoi in the Antiquitez .....................................................169 Narrative Structure ....................................................................181 Poet as Hero – Hero as Poet ............................................................199 viii Poet as Hero ..............................................................................200 Hero as Poet (and Witness) .......................................................212 Political Engagement in the Antiquitez ...........................................216 Reflections on Catholic Rome ..................................................217 Reflections on Civil War ..........................................................223 IV. D’Aubigné and the Protestant Vision for Epic ....................................237 Les Tragiques as Œuvre Héroïque .................................................243 Towards a New Heroism .........................................................243 Je and His Poem as Epic Hero ..................................................252 Je as Martyr, Witness, and Prophet ................................................261 Je as Martyr...............................................................................262 Je as Witness .............................................................................267