Did you know that the Allée Pierre de Ronsard pays homage to a poet once hailed as the “prince of poets?” Pierre de Ronsard was a prominent figure of the French Renaissance. Let me tell you his story.
The Allée Pierre de Ronsard is named after Pierre de Ronsard. He was born in 1524. His birthplace was the Manoir de la Possonnière. It was a village named Couture-sur-Loir.
Ronsard’s father, Louis de Ronsard served King Francis I. He worked as ma\u00eetre d’hôtel du roi. Pierre’s early education took place at home. At age nine he joined the Collège de Navarre in Paris. His travels took him to Scotland, Flanders and Holland.
A hearing impairment ended his diplomatic career. After that, he dedicated himself to study. The Collège Coqueret was his chosen institution. He became leader of La Pléiade. This was a group of seven French Renaissance poets.
Ronsard’s works received both admiration and criticism. Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve helped establish his reputation. His poetry featured unique language, imagery and varied metre.
Ronsard’s early life saw him inspired by classical authors. He made French translations of their work. He travelled on diplomatic missions. Later he became secretary to Lazare de Baïf’s suite.
His studies took seven years. In 1549, Du Bellay released the first manifesto. It applied classical principles to the vernacular. This launched the Pléiade. The group included Ronsard, Du Bellay and Baïf. It also included Belleau, Tyard, Jodelle and Daurat.
His Amours de Cassandre was published in 1552. It was dedicated to Cassandre Salviati. This sparked literary quarrels. Some saw the Pléiade’s critique as an insult to earlier authors.
Ronsard’s popularity grew quickly. He published his Hymns in 1555. These were dedicated to Margaret de Valois. He completed his Amours in 1556. He addressed this to another heroine. In 1560, he released a collection of his complete works. This was said to be at the request of Mary Stuart.
Charles IX favored Ronsard even more. He gave him palace rooms. He gave him diverse abbacies and priories. He called Ronsard his master in poetry. The Huguenots disliked Ronsard. They wrote pasquinades against him. They tried to paint him as a libertine and atheist. They also promoted Du Bartas as his rival.
During this time, Ronsard started writing the Franciade in 1572. This epic poem was never finished. It is deemed a failure. Its verse form did not suit epic poetry. Its release coincided with the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.
Ronsard left court life near the end of his life. He mostly resided in Vendôme. This was his native province. He also stayed at his Croix-Val abbey. Or he stayed in Paris with Jean Galland. His preferments made him comfortable.
His final years were marked by the loss of friends and declining health. But this did not affect the quality of his work. He repeatedly altered his works though. He met his end with resolve. He passed away at his Saint-Cosme priory in Touraine. He was buried there in 1585.
Ronsard’s works have experienced varying fortunes. Initially, he faced attacks from Marot’s followers. Later, Huguenots criticized him. Malherbe led a classical reaction. Boileau directly attacked the Pléiade.
Romantic revival saw him as a victim of Boileau. They admired his diction and metre. Sainte-Beuve and others helped restore his reputation. Ronsard led the Pléiade and wrote the most.
His amatory verse stands out. Also his descriptions of the countryside. He used graceful diminutives. He also knew how to use gorgeous adjectives. Ronsard exemplified the attractions of 16th-century French poetry. Those attractions are language, imagery and metre. So as you stroll along the Allée Pierre de Ronsard remember the “prince of poets” and his lasting influence.