A Female Voice in Early Modern Love Poetry – Gaspara Stampa

Abstract

In the 16th century a revolution took place for women poets in Italy and Gaspara Stampa (1523-1554) was one of the strongest voices of the period. She is not only a woman writing within a literary code created by and for men, Petrarchism – she writes her poetry with confidence, takes tone and makes a woman’s voice heard where it traditionally does not exist. She goes against ideals and creates female speaking and loving subject At the same time, she makes man her muse and silent object of her praise. And where the tradition divides love in high and low, heavenly and earthbound, Stampa seeks union of body and soul, a union of the two lovers, because without love life is not even worth living.