The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the <i>Canzoniere</i>

ZHONG Bili

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ZHONG Bili. The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the Canzoniere[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(1): 59-74.

Citation:

ZHONG Bili. The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the Canzoniere[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(1): 59-74.

ZHONG Bili. The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the Canzoniere[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(1): 59-74.

Citation:

ZHONG Bili. The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the Canzoniere[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(1): 59-74.

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The Muted Lover and the Singing Poet: Ekphrasis and Gender in the Canzoniere

ZHONG Bili

University of Padua

Received Date: 2018-09-27

Abstract

Abstract

Ekphrasis,a poetic genre termed as the "verbal representation of the visual representation" that reflects the relationship between word and image,plays an important role in the field of gender study.In ekphrasis,word/ the male is said to dominate over or to suppress the silent image/the female. Petrarch's ekphrastic description of Laura has a strong tendency of fetishism in the Canzoniere.Laura is always presented in the poetry as some fragmental parts: pearl,gold,rose,snow,etc.This obsessively ekphrastic writing shows Petrarch's ambition and desire to "objectify" his lover,making her forever stagnant as a mute artwork that bears the gaze from the male.Unlike a lively lover that can interact with Petrarch,Laura is turned into an idol,an object out of reach but is always seized by the erotic gaze of the poet.In his project of objectifying Laura, the poet created his sol una donna¹.However,realizing the insubstantiality of language,he found that his empty words of poetics could never bring Laura to her presence.The forever absence of Laura,in turn,stimulates his desire to create an infinite number of sign-substitutions that eventually distort the feminine image.
- ekphrasis,
- Petrarch,
- Canzoniere,
- gender,
- poetics

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References(12)

References

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