Marie de Romieu

Marie de Romieu was a 16th-century French poet from Viviers, France. Although her exact date of birth is unknown, she was most likely born between 1526 and 1545, and died around 1589. Like her origins, most of her life remains a mystery. She is mostly known for her poetic discourse on the superiority of women, as well as an attributed French translation of a work by Italian author Alessandro Piccolomini, which provided behavioral and societal instructions for young ladies and their mothers.

Background Besides her place of birth, not much else is known about de Romieu; her occupation, education and background vary according to the source. Some sources place her as a noblewoman who frequented the French court, even naming her as a favorite lover of King Henry III.

Family The biographical information concerning Marie de Romieu is scarce at best. She had a brother, Jacques de Romieu, also a poet, who was her publisher and mentor. French author and archivist Auguste Le Sourd claims the family was composed of bakers in Viviers, although this account is widely disputed due to Marie's level of education. Another theory places both Marie and Jacques in the entourage of their supposed beneficiary, Jean de Chastellier, the finance minister for kings Charles IX and Henry III. In her poems, she mentions a son and the press of certain domestic duties,

Education

The only clue into Marie de Romieu's education is found through her body of work, which was heavily influenced by Pierre de Ronsard and classical writers such as Hesiod, Ovid and Virgil. It is speculated that she either learned from her brother Jacques, or at least shared some of his lessons. In 1584, some of her works appear as introductory poems in her brother's poetic anthology, which included Latin translations. Since her poetry included translations of Renaissance Neo-Latin Poets, it can be inferred that she was proficient in Latin, which suggests a higher level of education than most women, and one only attained by those in the elite. She may also have been fluent in Italian due to her translations of Italian authors such as Petrarch. However, her fluency in Italian is not certain, for French translations of the works were available at the time.

Instructions pour les jeunes dames (1572)

One of the works most widely attributed to Marie de Romieu, Instruction for Young Women, was the French translation of Alessandro Piccolomini’s Dialogo dove si ragiona della bella creanza delle done, dello Stordito accademico Intronato. This particular work, signed solely by the initials M.D.R., appeared in later editions as The Messenger of Love and Instructions to Incite Young Ladies to Love. The premise of the work was to instruct young ladies to lead a virtuous and pure path. A sort of anthology of verse, it contained occasional brief pieces flattering some authority figures in Viviers. Premières Oeuvres features de Romieu's discourse on the superiority of women as its opening piece. The entirety of the work was made up of a mixture of styles common to the Renaissance which included elegies, eclogues, odes, sonnets and hymns.

Brief discours: Que l’excellence de la femme surpasse celle de l’homme Page of "Les Prémières Oeuvres Poétiques" containing the beginning of Marie de Romieu's "Brief dicsourse".

Perhaps the most widely known work associated with Marie de Romieu, her Brief discourse on the superiority of woman over man, was a response to an anti-feminist text penned by her brother, Jacques. Furthermore, she illustrates women as the source of learning, both in ancient times and her own. In her conclusion, she reasons that life without women would be lacking in social graces and virtues; she also points out that it is not by accident that the classical virtues are depicted as women.

Besides her focus on the superiority of women, Marie de Romieu discusses the male sex as well. She recognizes "men of courage", "men of knowledge", and the general grandeur of men, but wonders what exactly her society values in such men, such as their courage, their spirit, their magnificence, their honor or their excellence. She also questions if her society values those men due to their virtues or simply due to the fact they were men. She utilizes those when presenting dialogue in which a masculine voice presents arguments that are subsequently countered by her own female voice.

The Querelle des Femmes

Marie de Romieu weighs in in the Querelle des Femmes, or the woman question a generation before early feminists associated with the theme, famously from Lyons, such as Louise Labé and Pernette du Guillet. While she comes to the defense of women, she almost never establishes her own voice on issues such as love, marriage, or life in general, unlike the female poets that came after. She seemed to opt for imitating what she considered the best poetry, regardless of whether it was made by a man or a woman. Differing from Labé, Marie de Romieu's love poems focus firstly on her patron's love for others and, secondly, as a translation exercise. De Romieu does not open up about her own emotions or preferences, other than the importance of education. In a particular sonnet, addressed to her son, she reminds him that the only lasting virtue is knowledge