On “John Florio’s Heroic Poem”

A dictionary haunted by a heroic poem has produced this heroic poem haunted by a dictionary. I was using the early modern writer, translator, and linguist John Florio’s Italian-English dictionary (1611) in order to read Torquato Tasso’s epic poem, Gerusalemme Liberata (1581). I was amazed to find every word I looked up in Florio’s dictionary, often in the precise form in which it occurred in the poem. Then it occurred to me that Florio was already using Tasso’s epic as a source of Italian words to translate into English. I became obsessed by page 500 of the dictionary, which contains words for symbol, similitude, sympathy, and syllogism: “a perfect argument of three parts.” Tasso and Florio seemed to have produced two parts of a poetic argument, and I wanted to provide the necessary conclusion. I read page 500 over and over until an epic narrative began to reassemble itself in my mind. Like all heroic poems, this poem is about war and the invention of history.

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Selections from John Florio, Queen Anna's New World of Words, Or Dictionarie of the Italian and English Tongues (London: Printed by Melch. Bradwood and William Stansby, for Edw. Blount and William Barret, 1611), p. 500:

Silaráno, a disease in a Hawke.

Sile, an hearbe called Sicelis, with the roote or seed whereof they of Greece were wont to season that wine which they drunke before noone. Also a kind of yellow earth which being burnt maketh Vermillion or red colour for Painters.

Silente lúna, the very moment that the Moone changeth.

Silentiáre, to silence, to put to silence, to still, to peace, to whosht[?].

Silicerno, a stooping old man.

Silígine, winter-wheat.

Sílo, he that hath a nose crooked upward [...] lowring visage or hanging eye-browes. It hath also been used for the whole world or universe.

Silogismo, a Sillogisme: that is, a perfect argument of three parts inferring a necessarie conclusion.

Silphióne, Laser-wort. Some say it is an hearbe yielding the gum Benaimin.

Sílvia, a Robin-red-breast.

Silúro, a fish called the Rive-wall.

Simblea, an assembly, a meeting.

Simboleità, simpathie or agreement in nature and qualitie.

Simbolicaménte, mystically, darkelie.

Similágine, a kinde of corne or meale which is neither pure flower nor mere meale.

Simiótto, a pretty Ape, a little Munkie.

Simmachia, aide in war, the ioyning of many against one.

Simolácro, an image, a shape, a figure, a statue, a picture, a pourtraict, a patterne, a likeness, a resemblance, the true proportion or shadow of any thing.

Simonía, simony, buying, selling or bribing of spirituall livings.

Simphisi, a ioyning together of the bones without moving.