Those who use a helmet made of glass, it's better not go in a fight of stones: Boccaccio’s poetry

• Grant number: 12/04647-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Modern Foreign Literatures
• Principal Investigator: Doris Nátia Cavallari
• Grantee: Pedro Falleiros Heise
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project intends to set the parameters to analyse the poetics of Giovanni Boccaccio. Although he has not left a specific text about his poetics, it is possible to study it by analyzing some excerpts of his works during the period called post-decameronian, which means the Genealogie deorum gentilium, the Trattatello in laude di Dante and the Esposizioni sopra la Comedia di Dante. The starting point will be the examination of the ideological position of Boccaccio through the referred works and some letters and, naturally, the Decameron. In consequence, it will be necessary to investigate the ambience in which insert the discussion about poetry in the works of Boccaccio. The project will try to situate the writer's poetic in relation to the other literary currents and non literal of his time. The main problem it's the association between fable and lie: if the poet is a composer os fables, he will be also a liar. Refuting this accusation, Boccaccio enter in to the fight for the legitimation and autonomy of the poetry in relation to theology and to philosophy. In this sense, the work intends to contribute for the debate on the poetic of an author who fought to defend the moral and intellectual freedom of poetry and, consequently, of the poets. (AU)