Guittone d'Arezzo and Girolamo Savonarola: Poetry vs. Sermon
In this paper, we make a comparative study of the work of two very different (or so it would seem at first glance) Italian men of letters: the medieval poet Guittone d'Arezzo and the Early Renaissance preacher Girolamo Savonarola. Our analysis shows that their world views and literary methods have a lot in common. The courtois poet Guittone becomes a preacher, while the preacher Savonarola addresses his congregation with a truly poetic inspiration. Poetry and sermon appear as comparable genres of religious literature with a common aim: the Christian education of readers and listeners.