Women Poets of the Italian Renaissance: Courtly Ladies & Courtesans

by Laura Anna Stortoni (Editor), Mary Prentice Lillie (Translator)

This dual-language collection presents the rich flowering of women's poetry during the Italian Renaissance: from the love lyrics of famous courtly ladies of Venice and Rome to the deeply moral and spiritual poets of the age. It includes biographies of 19 poets and over 80 selected poems in the original Italian with facing English verse translation. Poets include: Laura Battiferri Ammannati, Chiara Matraini, Isabella Andreini, Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' Medici, Vittoria Colonna, Isabella di Morra, Tullia d'Aragona, Aurelia Petrucci, Lucia Bertani Dell'Oro, Antonia Giannotti Pulci, Leonora Ravira Falletti, Camilla Scarampa, Moderata Fonte, Gaspara Stampa, Veronica Franco, Laura Bacio Terracina, Veronica Gàmbara, Barbara Bentivoglio Strozzi Torelli, Olimpia Malipiera. Dual-language poetry. Introduction, biographies, notes, bibliographies, first-line index.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Italian Literature, Renaissance

302 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paid particular attention to the works of Vittoria Colonna, Veronica Gambara, Gaspara Stampa, Tullia d'Aragona and Veronica Franco. It would have been a four, but the works are footnoted and arranged in a particular way that in my opinion leads the reader into thinking these writters trajectories followed that of Petrarch's (who's own trajectory is very much under debate.)

Take for exampe the works of Colonna. It is my contention that she uses the word "sun" to mean both God and in reference to her husband (who has passed.) The footnote included in the this volume warns that when Capitalized! she is refering to God and when in lower case her husband. As if Colonna actually printed the originals! Then the poems are re-organized into Sprituals and Love poems. Again, the editor/publisher trying to force its will of some obvious trajectory into Colonna works. It is for this reason I give the collection a 3, the works alone are probably a 4 and you should read them -- but keep an open mind and read them out of the publishers imposed 'order.'

[Kirk Nesset · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this reader at least, the little introductions were more interesting than the poems themselves. These were capable poets, yes, but some works are just products of their time, and we get what we get.

[RD Chiriboga Moncayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine and excellent poetry and prose by nineteen intriguing and exceptional women.

[Elina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this concise volume of poetry. Will definitely be using it for reference in the future.