Ronsard's historical consciousness included an optimistic vision of the future. This vision was resistant to the disastrous events of the Religious wars in France. Both before and after the beginning of the wars in 1562, Ronsard rejected the idea of “the world grown oldˮ, on which the popular apocalyptic interpretation of the contemporaneity was based. He insisted that the disasters and moral decline of religious wars are not something unprecedented, testifying to the hopelessness of the world and its imminent destruction. The course of history is cyclical; decline and disasters must be followed by appeasement and prosperity under an eminent ruler. Ronsard’s belief in the positive dynamics of history served a compensatory function, allowing him to endure the “horror of historyˮ.
Key words: Renaissance, historical consciousness, “Golden ageˮ, perspective of the future, idea of “the world grown oldˮ, cyclic concept of history.
Reference to article:
Samotovinskij D. V. «The world has not grown old yet, having come to its end»: a perspective of the future in the poetry of Pierre de Ronsard before and after 1562 // Ivanovo State University Bulletin. Series «The Humanities». 2020. No.3. P. 66-73.