Quanto diversa, oime, da quel che pria
Visto altrove (iv. 49),

the reminiscence suggests ideas that are unfavorable to the modern version.

In his description of battles, the mustering of armies, and military operations, Tasso neither draws from mediaeval sources nor from experience, but imitates the battle-pieces of Virgil and Lucan, sometimes with fine rhetorical effect and sometimes with wearisome frigidity.  The death of Latino and his five sons is both touching in itself, and a good example of this Virgilian mannerism (ix. 35).  The death of Dudone is justly celebrated as a sample of successful imitation (iii. 45): 

    Cade; e gli occhi, ch’appena aprir si ponno,
    Dura quiete preme e ferreo sonno.

The wound of Gerniero, on the contrary, illustrates the peril of seeking after conceits in the inferior manner of the master (ix. 69): 

    La destra di Gerniero, onde ferita
    Ella fu pria, manda recisa al piano;
    Tratto anco il ferro, e con tremanti dita
    Semiviva nel suol guizza la mano.

The same may be said about the wound of Algazel (ix. 78) and the death of Ardonio (xx. 39).  In the description of the felling of the forest (iii. 75, 76) and of the mustering of the Egyptian army (xvii. 1-36) Tasso’s Virgilian style attains real grandeur and poetic beauty.

Tasso was nothing if not a learned poet.  It would be easy to illustrate what he has borrowed from Lucretius, or to point out that the pathos of Clorinda’s apparition to Tancredi after death is a debt to Petrarch.  It may, however, suffice here to indicate six phrases taken straight from Dante; since the Divine Comedy was little studied in Tasso’s age, and his selection of these lines reflects credit on his taste.  These are: 

Onorate l’altissimo campione! (iii. 73:  Inf. iv.)

Goffredo intorno gli occhi gravi e tardi (vii. 58:  Inf.. iv.).

a riveder le stelle (iv. 18:  Inf. xxxiv.).

Ond’ e ch’or tanto ardire in voi s’alletti? (ix. 76:  Inf. ix.)

A guisa di leon quando si posa (x. 56:  Purg. vi.)

e guardi e passi (xx. 43:  Inf. in.)

As in the Rinaldo, so also in the Gerusalemme, Tasso’s classical proclivities betrayed him into violation of the clear Italian language.  Afraid of what is natural and common, he produced what is artificial and conceited.  Hence came involved octaves like the following (vi. 109): 

  Siccome cerva, ch’assetata il passo

Mova a cercar d’acque lucenti e vive,
Ove un bel fonte distillar da un sasso
O vide un fiume tra frondose rive,
Se incontra i cani allor che il corpo lasso
Ristorar crede all’onde, all’ombre estive,
Volge indietro fuggendo, e la paura
La stanchezza obbliar face e l’arsura.

The image is beautiful; but the diction is elaborately intricate, rhetorically indistinct.  We find the same stylistic involution in these lines (xii. 6):