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Pierre de RonsardFrench poet, chapter of "Pleiades"
Date of Birth: 11.09.1524
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard was a French poet and a key figure of the French Renaissance. He rejected the medieval tradition and looked to the classical literature of Greece and Rome as his inspiration, which had a significant influence on the development of French poetry for the next two centuries.
Early Life and Education
Pierre de Ronsard was born on September 11, 1524, in the castle of La Possonnière, in the Loire Valley (province of Vendôme). He studied at the College of Navarre and became a page to the sons and later the sister of King Francis I. As the secretary to Lazare de Baïf, one of the leading humanists of his time, a prominent diplomat, and the father of Antoine de Baïf, Ronsard visited Scotland, England, and the Alsatian city of Haguenau. During his travel to Haguenau, he met many famous scholars but also suffered from a severe illness, which resulted in his deafness. As his diplomatic and military career became closed off, he dedicated himself entirely to the study of the classics and poetry.
Education and Career
Together with other young nobles passionate about knowledge, Ronsard enrolled in the College Coqueret in Paris, where his mentor was Dorat. All the poets of the Pléiade, a group of French Renaissance poets, were characterized by their extraordinary zeal and passion for learning. In 1650, Ronsard was appointed as the court poet. After the death of King Charles IX, he lived in the abbeys of Croixval in Vendôme and Saint-Côme in Touraine. Ronsard passed away in Saint-Côme-sur-Loire on December 27, 1585.
Literary Contributions
Ronsard's literary works vary in quality. His affected and artificial Odes (1550–1553) were evident imitations of Pindar and Horace. The unfinished epic poem La Franciade (1572) turned out to be unsuccessful. Ronsard gained true fame through his lyric poetry, particularly his collections of Love Poems (Amours, 1552), Continuation of Love Poems (Continuations des Amours, 1555), and Sonnets for Helen (Sonnets pour Hélène, 1578). His love poetry predominantly explores themes of the passing of time, the withering of flowers, and bidding farewell to youth. It further develops the Horatian motif of "carpe diem" or "seize the day." Ronsard is also a great poet of nature, depicting rivers, forests, and waterfalls. In his Discourse on the Misfortunes of Our Time (Discours des misères de ce temps, c. 1562), written during the religious wars, Ronsard showcased his mastery of political satire and patriotic poetry. He also wrote numerous poems for specific occasions. His fame reached Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, and Poland. Many English poets, including Wyatt, Sidney, Herrick, Spenser, and Shakespeare, imitated or were influenced by him.
Thanks to Ronsard, French poetry revived the eight-syllable and ten-syllable verse, breathed new life into the almost forgotten Alexandrine or twelve-syllable verse from the Middle Ages, developed and made it more sonorous. Ronsard brought musicality, harmony, diversity, depth, and scale to French poetry. He introduced themes of nature, sensual and yet platonic love, completely renewing its content, form, pathos, and vocabulary. Therefore, he can rightfully be considered the founder of lyrical poetry in France.
