The lexicon of early vernacular poetry in Occitan and Italian (through 1375) is examined for: (1) the increasing and evolving use of color terms over a period in which cultural application and codification of color grew significantly; and (2) reflection of prevailing and emerging physical and metaphysical theories of light. For diverse poets, the contexts, relative frequencies and different meanings of light and color terms (LCT) are evaluated. The emerging written vernaculars are also examined in light of models from modern linguistic anthropology regarding color naming and sequencing.

This study demonstrates the extent to which early vernacular verse did not merely repeat established medieval concepts of color or light but reflected, explicitly and indirectly, emerging theories and cultural trends. It examines the growth and variation of LCT from the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries. Finally, it shows how Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch extended the use and semantic range of these terms, such that the grounding in science and philosophy that had previously influenced these terms' use became secondary to the stylistic and thematic intents of poets themselves.

This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter I discusses past research on color- or light-related issues in early vernacular verse. It notes principal theories and practices of the period regarding these phenomena and lists the ancient and medieval texts that influenced them. Chapter II discusses LCT in Occitan poetry and outlines the contexts in which they appear. Chapter III examines how the Scuola Siciliana's LCT differ from Occitan's and posits several possible reasons for this. Chapter IV examines the varied ways that other thirteenth century poets, from Francis of Assisi to Jacopone to the Stilnovisti, use light and color terms. Chapter V raises new questions and observations about Dante's LCT and notes how semantic consistency in his early work yields to greater range in the Commedia. Chapter VI demonstrates how Boccaccio and Petrarch expand the semantic diversity of LCT even further, largely decoupling the light and color lexicon from past philosophies and practices.