The Lauds

Jacopone, da Todi, 1230-1306Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.1

Word count: 454K words
Chapters: 46

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Le Laude by da Todi JacoponeAuthor: Jacopone, da Todi, 1230-1306,Language: Italian, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Sep 13, 2009

Editor's review

Le Laude is a collection of religious lauds by the thirteenth-century Italian Franciscan poet Jacopone da Todi, written in Italian and a public-domain classical text. These 'lauds' are not cool theological argument but thrust late-medieval religious experience directly at the reader through vehement colloquial language, bodily imagery, and an almost ecstatic penitential tone. Their value is twofold: they are an important early sample of Italian vernacular literature and a primary source for understanding the emotional mode of the Franciscan movement. The paradoxical expressions in the poems—renunciation of the world interwoven with longing for divine love—still carry impact today. This Project Gutenberg e-edition is suitable as a base text for close reading or comparative literature study. Read in a quiet, slow setting with notes and historical background; it is not recommended as a light poetry collection to read straight through, but better for selected close reading and repeated savoring of its linguistic rhythm and religious rhetoric.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of medieval Italian literature and religious poetry
Readers interested in the Christian mystical tradition
Advanced learners of Italian seeking early vernacular texts
Comparative literature students focusing on lauds and penitential genres

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking modern Italian or popular reading matter
Readers uninterested in religious themes who want only entertainment
Readers expecting plot-driven narrative or complete story structure

Reading tips

Read the introduction or relevant literary history chapters first to understand the Franciscan movement and thirteenth-century Italian religious context, then enter the text.
Read only two or three lauds closely at a time, noting recurring images and vocative patterns, and feel the colloquial rhythm.
Read alongside modern Italian translations or annotated editions to reduce difficulties from archaic language and dialect.
Compare with other medieval religious poetry, noting similarities and differences in emotional expression and rhetorical strategy.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Italian or English?

The main text is in Italian and is a public-domain classical text. The Project Gutenberg page labels bibliographic information in English, but Le Laude itself is written in Italian; reading requires some Italian ability or the aid of translations and notes.

Can I read it without medieval background knowledge?

You can, but understanding will be limited. It is advisable to first acquire basic background on the Franciscan movement and thirteenth-century Italian religious literature, then read selected pieces with notes. With no preparation, one may stay at the surface and miss the stylistic and emotional tension.

Is it suitable as Italian learning material?

Not very suitable for beginners. The language is early Italian vernacular, with spelling, syntax, and vocabulary at a distance from modern standard Italian. Intermediate and advanced learners can read selections with a teacher or annotated edition as material combining language history and literary history.

What should I note when reading the e-edition?

Public-domain e-texts usually lack detailed notes and have plain formatting. Prepare your own literary history materials and dictionary, and mark selected pieces; it is better not to read straight through by page but to group readings by theme or length.

Comments

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About the author

Jacopone, da Todi, 1230-1306 Author · Italian · 1230–1306

Jacopone da Todi (1230–1306) was an Italian Franciscan friar and poet, known for his religious lauds. Only a limited body of his work survives, and his representative work, Le Laude, is an important collection of Italian medieval religious poetry. Written in the Italian vernacular, the collection contains numerous lauds whose themes center on faith, repentance, the spiritual life, and the longing for divine love. Its language is plain yet emotionally charged, bearing a distinctly Franciscan spiritual character. Jacopone da Todi's lauds hold a place in the tradition of Italian literature and religious poetry and are often regarded as a representative example of medieval vernacular religious verse. Public information about the details of his life is limited, so an understanding of him should rest mainly on the themes and style of Le Laude.