Representing Nature in Du Bellay's Deffence: the construction of a convincing speech

• Grant number: 24/22000-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Literature Theory
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Eduardo Ornelas Berriel
• Grantee: João Augusto Aidar Filho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem (IEL). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Deffence et illustration de la langue françoyse is a key text of the French Renaissance. Published by Joachim Du Bellay in 1549, this poetic treatise, without considering national predecessors, advocates for the enrichment of the vernacular through the acclimatization of classical authors. In the work in question, we will examine the text based on the author's use of themes related to nature and how they assist him in his persuasive discourse. Appearing sporadically, here and there, at important moments and culminating in the final chapter, these themes aid in the attempt to exhort poets to use the vernacular and express the desire to celebrate the grandeur of the country. A critical edition of the text translated into Portuguese will also be a central part of the work.