Nova retòrica i pràctica d’escriptura en Ramon Llull

Abstract

The reference for this work is a booklet written in Catalan in 1301 during a trip to Cyprus: the New Rhetoric. From 1271 to 1301, Llull wrote the Arts of the first phase, the first formulations of the second phase and practically all of his works in vulgar literary expression: the Llibre de contemplació en Déu (Book of Contemplation of God), the Llibre del gentil e dels tres savis (Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men), the Romanç de Blaquerna (Blanquerna) with the «Llibre d’amic e amat» («The Book of the Lover and the Beloved»), the Llibre de Meravelles (The Book of Marvels) with the «Llibre de les bèsties» («Book of the Beasts»), the Llibre de Santa Maria (The Book of the Virgin Mary), the Plant de la Verge, the Desconhort, and the Cant de Ramon (The Song of Ramon). These materials constitute Ramon Llull’s experience as a writer from which he dared to reformulate the principles of rhetoric from a perspective that was congruent with the practice of his production. Especially relevant are the lullian incursions into allegorical fiction (1274) and poetic auto-commentary (1299).