«Sentisti, et in rime et in prose, dire alcune cosette di mio»
Lo strano caso del prosimetro dello Pseudo Sermini
abstract
This paper analyses some aspects of the Novelle ascribed to Gentile Sermini to assess whether this manifestly unsystematic work can be inscribed in the literary tradition of the prosimetrum. The collection includes both prose and verse composition, which appear to be unevenly distributed. However, closer scrutiny of the text demonstrates that Sermini uses two different rhetorical modes interchangeably to narrate the main themes of the collection. Finally, we illustrate some examples of resonances between poetry and prose: these connections focus on the aforementioned themes, thus helping to create a cohesive prosimetrum formed of two complementary souls.
Keywords: Lout • Love • Novella • Sex • Good governance • Siena