Angelo Poliziano

Angelo Poliziano , or Politian , 1454-94, Italian poet, philologist, and humanist. Of middle-class origin, he was given a classical education, completed under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici. He became Lorenzo's companion and was tutor to the young Medici. For Lorenzo he translated much of the Iliad into Latin, and he later taught classics at Lorenzo's school. A fine classical scholar, he was a leader, with Lorenzo, in the use of the Tuscan vernacular in poetry. His ideas had substantial influence on the major Florentine artists of his time, including Botticelli and Michelangelo. His verse, tranquil and beautiful, shows the growing emphasis on style and form. Among his poetic works are the charming Stanze per la giostra, which is classical in tone, celebrating the jousting prowess of Lorenzo's brother Giuliano, and Orfeo (1475, tr. 1929, 1931), one of the earliest plays in the Italian language. He also wrote many lyrics in both Latin and Italian.

Poliziano, Angelo, in English Angelo Politian (1454–94), Italian humanist. He was professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Florence, and wrote poetry in both these languages. His Italian works include Orfeo (1480), the first secular drama in Italian. His philological acumen made him one of the founders of modern textual criticism. Linacre was one of his students, and G. Chapman translated and imitated his verse.

Poliziano, Angelo (1454–94), Italian scholar, sometimes known as Politian. Born Angelo Ambrogini, he took a new name after the death of his father. As a precocious youth he became the friend and protégé of Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent), and ultimately tutor to his two sons. He was the author of the first important play to be written in the vernacular, the Favola d'Orfeo (1472), performed in Mantua to celebrate the betrothal of Clara Gonzaga. With no act divisions and a multiple set, as in the sacra rappresentazione, it takes its subject not from the Bible but from classical mythology, and the prologue, formerly spoken by an angel, is given to the Roman god Mercury. It thus forms an interesting link between the old and new drama, and points to the imminent development of new forms of secular theatre, particularly the pastoral.