Systematic repetition and variation in Maurice Sceve's 'Delie'

This dissertation establishes a logical progression of sentiments in Maurice Sceve's Delie (1544,1564). This French Renaissance canzoniere recounts the story of an older poet who recalls his long-time love of and physical desire for an unattainable woman. The 450 dizains and 50 emblems demonstrate the contradictory nature of his emotions. Sceve composed the text in accordance with the popular Renaissance concept of innovation through imitation. The poet's use of numerous treatises on life and love as well as poetic texts from the ancient, medieval and contemporary worlds provides the imitation. Delie's psychological presentation furnishes the innovative form. Sceve created a non-chronological meditative discourse that deterred the establishment of logical textual progression.; My study examines selected textual paradigms from several different eras. These include, the work of the Roman Erotic elegists, the French Troubadours, the Italian Dolce stil nuovisti, and Petrarch among others. I also take note of certain treatises on life and love from Plato, Aristotle, Pseudo-Dionysius, Cicero, Marsilio Ficino and St. Bonaventure.; St. Bonaventure's Triplici via alias incendium amoris offers a template for Delie's logical discourse. Bonaventure created the Triplici via, also known as the Three Ways, as the sinner's path to God. The Via Purgativa, Via illuminativa and Via perfectiva demonstrate how the soul can be cleansed, enlightened and perfected. My thesis shows how Sceve's humanist adaptation of the Saint's medieval theory allows the poet-lover to the recount the psychological suffering and death that he experienced because of physical desire. One is able to follow the sexual/spiritual battle of the psyche along the Purificative Way. The lover then enters the Illuminative Way where he attempts to find intellectual enlightenment and truth partially through a Platonic relationship with his beloved. He finally attains his objective along the Perfective Way. It is at this point that he is restored emotionally because of his spiritual attachment to Delie.; This logical movement of emotions mirrors the human psyche because the lover neither progresses smoothly toward the Perfective Way nor does he maintain his goal.; St. Bonaventure's Triplici via solves the problem of lack of logical progression in Maurice Sceve's Delie.