Doubt and Self-Assertion in Gaspara Stampa's Rime

This chapter explores the uses of doubts and the self-portrait of the poet as living in a state of doubt in Gaspara Stampa's Rime. Stampa adheres to the Petrarchan trope of the fearful lover, trapped in uncertainty due to the beloved's "cruelty," and aligns with gender norms of the era, depicting women as weak and unstable. However, Stampa cleverly employs her expressions of doubt, using them as an antiphrastic strategy, which results in an image of herself as stronger and more reliable than her lover. This strategy also becomes a way for Stampa to boast her skills as a poet, ultimately turning into an instrument of self-promotion.