Eustache Deschamps' "L'art de dictier"
L'Art de dictier, written in 1392 by the prolific courtier-poet Eustache Deschamps, is the first ars poetica ever written in French. It provides invaluable insights into medieval poetics as perceived by a respected medieval poet. L'Art de dictier is composed of two sections: a brief introductory liberal arts treatise and a prescriptive poetics devoted to the lyric. In the introduction, music is divided into two sub-categories. Deschamps calls instrumental music "artificial music" because he feels it can be taught to anyone. "Natural music," in contrast, is poetry, for only those who are inspired to compose it can do so. Since Deschamps was the disciple of the great poet-musician Guillaume de Machaut, it is not surprising that Deschamps linked poetry with music; however, Deschamps felt strongly that natural music was superior to artificial music and might even be better performed without it. Although a long history of artes poeticae precede it, L'Art de dictier is related to neither the Latin nor the vernacular tradition. Since L'Art de dictier treats lyric poetry, it is, however, more fruitfully compared with the Old Provencal prescriptive treatises (e.g. Las Leys d'amor, the Razos de trobar and the Regles de trobar). Comparison with Dante's De Vulgari eloquentia also yields valuable insights. L'Art de dictier was last edited by the Societe des Anciens Textes Francais in 1878. A new edition was therefore necessary. Textual variants have been noted and a glossary prepared, as well as extensive annotations. Since it had never been translated into any modern language, L'Art de dictier has been translated here.
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