Orlando Furioso

“I sing of knights and ladies, of love and arms, of courtly chivalry, of courageous deeds—all from the time when the Moors crossed the sea from Africa and wrought havoc in France.”

The opening line of Ariosto’s poem alludes to the opening of the Aeneid by Virgil. Both poems begin with “I sing,” which connects poet with singer, emphasizing the orality of the work. Furthermore, Ariosto clearly defines his genre—chivalric romance set during the Crusades—with this one-line description of his work.

“You must know that the rare valour which swept you from the saddle was that of a gentle damsel. / She is brave, but more than that, she is beautiful. Her name is famous and I shall keep it from you no longer: it is Bradamant who has stripped you.”

In this passage, a messenger explains to Sacripant who defeated him. From the first canto, Ariosto establishes that female knights exist and are strong enough to defeat men. This passage also establishes that knights in full armor are not recognizable, setting up many instances of mistaken identity in the poem later.

“Beware of pretty young men in the flower of their years: their appetites are quickly sharpened and as quickly assuaged, like straw set ablaze. As a huntsman who pursues a hare in the cold as in the heat, over hill and dale, but no longer prizes it once he has it in the bag, and hastens off the moment he sight new quarry fleeing from him.”

In this passage, the narrator warns women about the fickleness of young male lovers. The long Homeric similes comparing lust and hunting and lust and fire appear in many chivalric romances and other poems. This advice can be compared with many other moments when the narrator warns men about unfaithful women.