French Literature Reviews - 2026

The Prosimetrum in the Renaissance
Other Literary Studies

Cahiers V. L. Saulnier,

Le prosimètre à la Renaissance

Éditions Rue d’Ulm, 169 p., 20 €.

Publisher’s overview:

Rather than relying on a functional division between verse and prose—a strict opposition between movere and docere, falsehood and truth—the prosimetrum of the Grands Rhétoriqueurs, a mixed and total form, is built upon their interplay and convergence. It allows for an exploration of all genres and functions of rhetoric, encompassing both their exchanges and their oppositions. Through prominently highlighted mosaic-like techniques, such as shifts from narrative to discourse or transitions between narrative planes, this genre mirrors the very stakes of Renaissance literature, forging a close relationship between history and fiction, as well as between the authors' historiographical and eulogistic missions. The studies collected here illustrate, in all their diversity, richness, and inventiveness, a widespread practice at the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which would later be revived at the end of the 16th century and cross-pollinated with other models. Combining various methodological approaches—codicological, rhetorical, narratological, and dramaturgical—alongside a wide range of texts, from Latin didactic literature to Italian, Spanish, and French Renaissance pastorals, these essays open up numerous fresh perspectives for the examination of 16th-century texts.

The prosimetrum, or the combination of prose and verse within a single work, has a long history in Western literature, tracing its roots back to ancient models. By the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, this hybrid form became a vehicle for authors to negotiate the boundaries between didactic instruction and aesthetic pleasure. The studies presented here explore how this interplay allowed writers to navigate the tension between historical record and creative fiction, reflecting the rhetorical strategies and generic conventions of the period.

By analyzing works ranging from Latin didactic texts to European pastoral literature, these essays examine the formal complexity inherent in the prosimetrum. The collection discusses how techniques such as narrative shifting and structural layering served as a means for authors to fulfill their historiographical and eulogistic goals. Readers interested in the evolution of 16th-century literary forms and the intersection of diverse generic traditions may find this volume relevant. It situates these practices within the context of Renaissance intellectual life, where the convergence of different modes of writing was central to literary experimentation.