Ronsard and the Homeric Body A Genuflection to humanism

Ronsard belonged to the Homeric wave of the early 1550s, but he continued more subtly to draw inspiration from the Greek poet throughout his career, especially in his Hellenizing use of the word “knee.” Through his use of the knee as a sign of force, as a tool of supplication, and as a vector of love, “the first French Lyric author” invests knees with symbolism and Homeric metaphors, while maintaining the corporeality of his verses.