University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

«Fuss’ io pur lui!»: Michelangelo’s poetry in the light of Dante. Not just a case of resistance to Petrarchism

chapter
posted on 2023-06-09, 17:43 authored by Ambra MoronciniAmbra Moroncini
This chapter looks first and foremost at Dante’s influence in Michelangelo’s poetry in order to highlight the moral affinity Michelangelo shares with the poet he describes as «no one of like worth or greater was ever born» [«simil uom né maggior non nacque mai»]. Indeed, despite Michelangelo’s familiarity with ideas and key words by Petrarch, he did not write poetry for publication, although traces of an alleged project for a canzoniere collection of poems do remain. Moreover, the evidence of this project indicates that Michelangelo favoured the madrigal over the sonnet. In terms of metre, therefore, his choice may appear somewhat ‘heterodox’, given the Petrarchan vein of 16th century Italian lyric poetry. Moroncini examines selected poems by Michelangelo, as well as a number of iconographic details from his frescoes and drawings, to argue that, much deeper than Petrarch’s inspiration, Dante’s presence in Michelangelo’s poetry is noticeable on both moral and spiritual levels, so much so that the extent of Michelangelo’s admiration for Dante could be summarised in just one verse: «Fuss’io pur lui!» [«Oh that I were he!»].

History

Publication status

  • Published

Publisher

Franco Cesati Editore

Page range

49-64

Pages

322.0

Book title

Resistance in Italian culture from Dante to the 21st century

ISBN

9788876677632

Department affiliated with

  • Sussex Centre for Language Studies Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Centre for Literature and Philosophy Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Editors

Ambra Moroncini, Darrow Schecter, Fabio Vighi

Legacy Posted Date

2019-05-07

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC