Poets of Divine Love: Franciscan Mystical Poetry of the Thirteenth Century

254 Pages·2004·1.278 MB·English

by  Alessandro Vettori

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Poets of Divine Love
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FORDHAM SERIES IN MEDIEVAL STUDIES
Richard F.Gyug,series editor
1.Richard F.Gyug.,ed.,MedievalCulturesinContact.
2.Teodolinda Barolini and H.Wayne Storey,eds.,DantefortheNewMillennium.
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POETS OF DIVINE LOVE
Franciscan Mystical Poetry
of the Thirteenth Century
A V
LESSANDRO ETTORI
Fordham University Press
New York
2004
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Copyright © 2004 Fordham University Press
All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a
retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,mechan-
ical,photocopy,recording,or any other—except for brief quotations in printed
reviews,without the prior permission of the publisher.
Fordham Series in Medieval Studies,No.3
ISSN 1542-6378
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vettori,Alessandro.
Poets of divine love :Franciscan mystical poetry of the thirteenth century /
Alessandro Vettori.—1st ed.
p.cm.—(Fordham series in medieval studies ;no.3)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8232-2325-6
1.Francis,of Assisi,Saint,1182–1226.I.Title.II.Series.
BX4700.F6V43 2004
242—dc22
2003024725
Printed in the United States of America
08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1
First edition
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This book is dedicated to Mary Bly,
without whose continued support,loving encouragement,
and editorial advice,
it would not have been accomplished.
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Adviso to Reader xi
Introduction xiii
Part One
1. Theater of Nudity 3
2. Mysticism of Sexual Union 40
3. Harmony of the Cosmos 59
Part Two
4. Origins of the Canon 79
5. Theology of Ravishment 112
6. Ecstasy of Agapic Love 145
7. Symphony of the Ineffable 172
Conclusion 193
Appendix 197
Cantico di frate sole 197
The Canticle of the Sun 199
Sources of the “Canticle of Brother Sun”
Daniel 3:51–90 200
Psalm 148 203
Bibliography 205
Index 219
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