« Instruire » en rimant

Abstract

Composed around 1470-80 and set at the beginning of the anthology of the Jardin de Plaisance et Fleur de Rhétorique (1501) edited by Anthoine Vérard, the Instructif de la seconde rhétorique – whose author is only known by his nickname, “l’Infortuné” – represents an essential marker in the history of the French arts of poetry. Close to the “arts de seconde rhétorique” by describing old forms, it heralds as well the “arts poétiques” of the Renaissance by refering to the new notion of inspiration. But the Instructif is distinguished from other poetic treatises above all by his form, completely put into verse. After a brief description of this poetic form, we’ll propose three interpretations: the verse allows to set apart the Instructif from the “arts de seconde rhétorique” in french prose and from the medieval arts of latin grammar and metrics put into verse (in a strategy of “défense et illustration” of french poetry), it makes conspicuous the enunciation of the treatise (characterized by the original association of inspiration and sententious brevity), and it guides his reception (learning how to read poetry more than how to compose it).