Ronsard’s Oaths

The value and uses of oaths in Ronsard’s work vary according to the poetic context. Each configuration draws on a rich cultural background. This article highlights the distinction between the multiple oaths of love—which are stereotypes of the language of love—, oaths of authorship (related to author-reader contracts), the extraordinary profession of faith in “La Responce aux injures,” and the scholarly vows and promises based on ancient rituals.