Apocalyptic and Demonic Structures in Michelangelo's Love Poetry

Abstract

Apocalyptic and in Demonic Structures Michelangelo's Love Poetry SARA GELBER Francesco Berni, in his Capitolo a fra Bastian Del ei dice cose, e voi dite parole. ^ Piombo of particularly 1534, succinctly described Michelangelo 's poetic talents as follows: The word cose was well chosen, for Michelangelo, in his poetry, gives weighty considera- tion to his innermost thoughts. These, in turn, were shaped by Michelangelo 's early formai education. As the poet was under the patronage of the Medici family and was wont to spend many hours Lorenzo de'Medici's home, he was undoubtedly influenced by Lorenzo 's circle of friends. Angelo Poliziano, Marsilio Ficino and Pico at della Mirandola. His training in Neoplatonic structural basis of his poetry thought was to be the expounding his theories of art and his experiences with love. The adherence to the rigid doctrines of Neoplatonism provoked movement is best poems which are metaphorically structured on his artistic theory. The struggles and resolutions of the poems follow narrative movements of descent and ascent.^ The structural descent is from Michelangelo 's world of experience to a demonic conflicts in the poet's inner self. This dialectical exemplified in his love world. In these poems, addressed to Tommaso Cavalieri, Vittoria Colonna, and to a few undefined women including la donna bella e crudele, the motif of amnesia is prominent as Michelangelo loses his identity, becomes a prisoner to his body, and experiences feelings