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The Franciad (1572) (AMS Studies in the Renaissance) (Volume 44)
The Franciad - 1572 - AMS Studies in the Renaissance - Volume 44 Author:Pierre De Ronsard Ronsard?s Franciad appeared at a crucial point in French history. The first four books, after many years of elaboration, finally left the presses of Parisian printer Gabriel Buon on September 13, 1572, less than a month after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre?an event normally thought to have been ordered by Catherine de Medici, the mother of K... more »ing Charles IX, Ronsard?s patron. France thus sorely lacked national unity; Ronsard?s unfinished epic, on the other hand, sought to bolster national (Catholic) pride by providing a shared genealogy that made the French King a descendant of Hector and the Trojan War. The contrast between the historical reality and Ronsard?s poetic monument underscores the epic?s underlying ideology and its inscription in a slightly earlier, more positive, belief in the destiny of the French nation.
?Phillip John Usher?s vibrant and highly readable translation, along with its wide-ranging notes and introduction, make the case that the poem as it stands merits a wider audience. . . . A work of scholarship and a labor of love, this volume will deepen the appreciation of new and old readers alike. . . .? ?Kathleen Wine, Renaissance Quarterly
?[T]his work should not be overlooked.? ?C. E. Campbell, Choice« less