Shadow of Dante in French Renaissance Lyric

This book presents an interpretation of Maurice Sceve's lyric sequence Delie, object de plus haulte vertu (Lyon, 1544) in literary relation to the Vita nuova, Commedia, and other works of Dante Alighieri. Dante's subtle influence on Sceve is elucidated in depth for the first time, augmenting the allusions in Delie to the Canzoniere of Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca). Sceve's sequence of dense, epigrammatic dizains is considered to be an early example, prior to the Pleiade poets, of French Renaissance imitation of Petrarch's vernacular poetry, in a time when imitatio was an established literary practice, signifying the poet's participation in a tradition. While the Canzoniere is an important source for Sceve's Delie, both works are part of a poetic lineage that includes Occitan troubadours, Guinizzelli, Cavalcanti, and Dante. The book situates Dante as a relevant predecessor and source for Sceve, and examines anew the Petrarchan label for Delie. Compelling poetic affinities emerge between Dante and Sceve that do not correlate with Petrarch.