Petrarch copying Cicero
1. Petrarch copying Cicero by hand can be used as an experiment in reading comprehension that introduces you to a technology—and a job description—that the photocopying machine has eliminated. Go back to Chapter 15 to copy out Christine de Pisan’s ten-line poem. See if you have anything like Petrarch’s experience: “For just in proportion as the writing is slower than the reading does the passage make a deep impression and cling to the mind.”
2. How or in what manner might a Florentine or a native of Madrid or Paris regard the art and culture of the Mali folk, the Maya, and the Aztecs? In turn, how might an individual from any of these cultures look upon European paintings and sculptures, such as Michelangelo’s David?
3. A central theme for this chapter is the “shattering” of the old order. Find examples of this phenomenon in the chapter. Luther’s Address to the German Nobility can easily escape notice. Imagine a document this controversial and confrontational addressed by a local clergyman to the governors of all the states, urging them to call a council for the purpose of deposing the appointed authorities of the organized faiths. The repeated references to usurped authority take on a new significance in context.
Please cite and refer to:
The Humanistic Tradition Vol 1, Fiero, 6th ed. McGraw Hill ISBN: 9780077346430
Chapters 11-19 when answering all three questions.