Francis of Assisi and His Canticle of Brother Sun Reassessed [Paperback]

Bringing the skills of a literary historian to the subject, Brian Moloney considers the genesis of Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of Brother Sun to show how it works as a carefully composed work of art. The study examines the saint's life and times, the structure of the poem, the features of its style, and the range of its possible meanings.Il cantico di frate sole (Italian text and facing translation) Il cantico di frate sole (An alternative translation) 1. Introduction 2. A man of his time 3. Praise and pain: the composition of the Canticle 4. Words and meanings 5. Form and structure 6. Francis's Mysticism and the Canticle 7. 'My Sister Death' 8. The Canticle and its contexts 9. The 'Knight of Christ': Christian chivalry in the Canticle 10. A Commentary on the Canticle 11. Conclusion

[Moloney's] book is comprehensive, well informed, and clearly presented. It certainly serves the purpose of introducing first-time readers to the canticle by offering all the essential ingredients to interpret and analyse it from a literary, theological, and spiritual point of view. - Modern Language Review

Brian Moloney is Emeritus Professor at the University of Hull and the University of Wollongong.