On Copia of Words and Ideas
Quick Summary
De copia verborum et rerum, or On Copia of Words and Ideas, is a rhetorical manual written by Desiderius Erasmus in 1511. This work explores the strategy of generating abundant variations on common ideas. Erasmus applied this concept of copia in his satirical work, Praise of Folly, which uses variations on the idea of folly to critique social institutions. The influence of copia extended beyond literature, impacting architecture and music. Erasmus, a key figure of the northern Renaissance, used philological methods to study classical and biblical texts, advocating for educational reform and criticizing church abuses.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
