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This thesis deals with the representation of the erotic body in the works of the most important authors of French sixteenth-century poetry, particularly those of the Pleiade. By "erotic body" we mean a body that is involved in activities of carnal love, a type of love which is considered, during the Renaissance, as the opposite of a more chaste and spiritual kind of love. Our hypothesis is that the textual representation of such a body is coherent throughout the sixteenth century. Since poetic expression is governed by rules of decency during this period, description of the erotic body cannot be direct; its expression depends on analogy and attenuation techniques. Analogy, besides its allusive quality, creates the image of a body "open" to the cosmos rather than one that is fragmented and hermetic. Beauty holds a central position in the imagery of the erotic body. It is a very conventional beauty whose qualities (white, round, hard and smooth) transform the female form into a veritable statue. On the contrary, ugliness and disease are used to sanction behaviour that would otherwise be seen as reprehensible. The erotic art shown in poetry is framed by orthodox morals that condemn certain acts such as sodomy. The guiding principle is one of moderation. Erotic art is also based upon gestures that are fluid and capricious, quite the opposite of a fixed posture. Gestures are made in varied ways, from biting to tickling. However, kissing is the most important practice; it literally kills and resurrects the lover. The center of Renaissance erotic art is the loving couple, whose relations consist of requital and sometimes also of restraint. The game of feigned resistance allows lovers to reconcile these two extremes and to create an erotic relationship that embraces opposition and collaboration between the sexes. The most sought-after locations in Renaissance eroticism are always the same: bucolic surroundings offering a corner away from others' eyes. Temporality on the other hand is variable: stages of life, seasons, holidays, all lend themselves to carnal love. However, the instant reveals itself as the most erotic moment, not because it allows direct pleasure but because it concentrates desire under the guise of a call to carpe diem or of fictitious times (wishes, prayers), thus offering an imaginary satisfaction.

This study aims to produce a positive assessment of the Franciade, by viewing Ronsard's epic venture in the context of works by Ronsard himself and by poets such as Baïf and Belleau. The com- positions considered extract single episodes from an epic whole, and are united by their structural and rhetorical techniques, forming a group dominated by the Franciade. The first chapter examines the question of genre raised by the fragments, and reviews classical models utilized by the French poets, placing particular emphasis upon the Alexandrians. It re- veals how the sixteenth-century poets long to produce a full-scale epic . Chapter 2 groups the fragments according to theme, highlighting Argonautic poems, notably Ronsard's Hymne de Calais, et de Zetes, Hymne de Pollux et de Castor, and Hylas. Chapter 3 examines the structure of the fragments in terms of contraction and expansion. Some poets circumscribe their material with a prelude and conclusion; others extend its temporal and spatial perspectives, by such means as retrospection, prophecy, and descriptions of ornate objects. The rhetoric of the fragments is seen in Chapter 4 to reflect the expansive urge: simile, circumlocution, and preterition all widen the poetic vistas. Chapter 5 studies Ronsard's approach to the problem of inven- ting an original framework for his epic, how he tries to lend it coherence by structural and rhetorical means. Yet the techniques Ronsard practised in the fragments finally prevail: the Franciade breaks up into a series of vivid miniatures: Ronsard repeatedly returns to material made familiar by classical epics. The conclusion emphasizes that the 'accidental' fragmentation of the Franciade should be viewed alongside the voluntary frag- mentation of the sixteenth-century heroic miniatures. The Franciade should, especially, be considered in conjunction with other Ron- sardian productions, such as the Argonautic hymns. Together with these, it forms an intricate fretwork of epic motifs.

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Also submitted by the author as part of application for candidature for the degree of Doctor of Letters, University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, Discipline of European Studies and Linguistics, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references and index. / 564 p. ; / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.

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Title supplied by cataloguer from accompanying Statement of submission. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 451-467) and index. / Has accompanying Statement of submission letter and application for candidature which includes a list of other publications by the author and details of works proposed for the submission. / 2 v. : / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Published texts submitted for doctorate are in French. / Thesis (D.Litt.)--University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, Discipline of European Studies and Linguistics, 2006

Title supplied by cataloguer from accompanying Statement of submission. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 451-467) and index. / Has accompanying Statement of submission letter and application for candidature which includes a list of other publications by the author and details of works proposed for the submission. / 2 v. : / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Published texts submitted for doctorate are in French. / Thesis (D.Litt.)--University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, Discipline of European Studies and Linguistics, 2006