ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the formation of ideas on how to present poetry in correlation with ancient theory, as it was understood and interpreted by the humanists. It deals with the idea of delivering poetry through singing, a traditional Italian practice, but now viewed in the light of the ancient theories. The book presents a survey of the ideas expressed by humanists regarding the performance of epic poems, also supported by ancient theories, according to which epic poems must in principle be declaimed without music, though everyday oral practice showed the contrary. It explores the sonic effects of Italian verse as they were discussed in Cinquecento literary theory. The book also deals with the question of accents in the language and poetry, the main phonetic factor for endowing the verse with acoustic beauty.
