Original scientific paper

The Dedication of "Judita"

Lahorka Plejić

Abstract

Dedications are marginal and apparently unimportant zones of a text. Yet, Marulić’s dedication in the Judita is an exceptionally interesting and important example of »autoreferential« composition in which our writer externalized his own poetics in the form of an epistle. Though it draws on metaphors and common places of the day, it is remarkable for its thematic as well as non–thematic aspects, as a text »in the service of« the Judita and as an independent composition. Also, it is the earliest known mature poetic treatise in the old Croatian literature. In this autothematic text Marulić discussed three functions of any literary work: poetic,rhetoric and especially stylistic, paying special attention to the epic that follows,particularly to the question of its style, but not underestimating the importance of the author or reader. The attention which he paid to the composition of this dedication makes us conclude that he considered it an important element of the epic itself.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

9492

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/9492

Publication date:

22.4.1998.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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