Frane Petrić i Emanuele Tesauro o cilju pjesništva
Frane Petrić and Emanuele Tesauro on the Purpose of Poetry

Summary/Abstract: Petrić’s doctrine of the marvel (maraviglia) as exterior purpose of poetry and his view that novelty constitutes the basis of marvel clearly demonstrate the major theoretical elements characteristic of the more mature, Baroque poetics of Emanuele Tesauro. Although Petrić and Tesauro agree on the role of poetry – to arouse marvel – their theoretical views differ concerning the ultimate purpose of marvel. In his early work Lettura sopra il sonetto del Petrarca, Petrić elaborates that poetry shoud seek its true and ultimate ideal in enhancing virtue, knowledge and wisdom, while in hid Della Poetica he most critically argues against the modern poets of his day who, guided by private interests, choose marvel as the ultimate purpose. In seventeenth-century poetics in which Emanuele Tesauro occupies a prominent place with his masterpiece Il cannocchiale aristotelico, surprise has primarily been assigned the role of demonstrating the poet’s virtuosity and impressing the recipient with his artful wording. Having drawn a parallel between Petrić’s and Tesauro’s approach to the purpose of a poetic act, this paper will consider the meaning and role of the notion ingegno as interpreted by Petrić and Tesauro. Despite the fact that Tesauro’s theoretical approach to the mentioned notion is more elaborate than that of Petrić, they both envisage it as proof of man’s resemblance to God, in inherent of invention, miraculous energy of the spirit with which man-the artist creates in a God-like manner. Ingegno plays a crucial role in poetic creativity. In Tesauro’s theory this notion is claimed to entertain the reader, whereas in that of Petrić it should teach, enrich human knowledge and wisdom.

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