FREN 421 The Sword, the Rose, and the Pen: Constructing Identity in French Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Culture

This course examines themes and techniques of imitation and/or subversion of classical and Biblical sources as strategies for defining the self and the creative process in the vernacular. Readings include such genres as the epic, courtly romance, popular theater, allegorical and lyric poetry, short story, and the essay (La Chanson de Roland, Chrétien de Troyes, Le Roman de la Rose, La Farce de Maistre Pathelin, François Villon, François Rabelais, Joachim du Bellay, Pierre de Ronsard, Louise Labé, Marguerite de Navarre, Michel de Montaigne). [H, W]