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Medieval Poetry (500-1500)

By: Cady Hart, Olivia Frances, Charissa Rotkosky, and Summer Sund

- Written during the Middle Ages

-Topics are specific to this time period, including religious devotion and courtly love

-A low literacy rate caused this poetry to be spoken often prior to being written

-Recited by minstrels/troubadours

- Monks transcribed medieval poems because they were literate

- Purpose was to provide relief from harsh daily life. Less serious poems made fun of other socioeconomic classes

- Most famous will be looked at later on

- Languages: Latin, English, Irish, and French

-Set the stage for Renaissance poetry

Whylom, as olde stories tellen us,

Ther was a duk that highte Theseus;

Of Athenes he was lord and governour,

And in his tyme swich a conquerour,

That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.

Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;

What with his wisdom and his chivalrye,

He conquered al the regne of Femenye,

That whylom was y-cleped Scithia;

And weddede the quene Ipolita,

And broghte hir hoom with him in his contree

With muchel glorie and greet solempnitee,

And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.

And thus with victorie and with melodye

Lete I this noble duk to Athenes ryde,

And al his hoost, in armes, him bisyde.

Other Medieval Poets Include...

1.

1. William Caxton (1422-1491)

2. Miles Coverdale (1488-1569)

3. Sir Thomas Malory (1405-1471)

4. William Tyndale (1492-1536)

2

4

3

Chaucer's Impact

Background

-After Chaucer's death, he was claimed to be, "The first finder of our fair language and my worthy master," by Thomas Hoccleve

- Chaucer was viewed as the writer who set a worthy standard for English

- His increase in fame--> this style became more popular---> more literacy spread

-Decasyllabic couplet used became the heroic couplet

-First to regularly use iambic pentameter

Mention by Ralph Waldo Emerson

"...the rich poets, such as Homer, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Raphael, have obviously no limits to their works, except the limits of their lifetime, and resemble a mirror carried through the street, ready to render an image of every created thing.”

- "The Poet," 1844

The Knight's Tale Part One: Excerpt

Analysis

How Chaucer's Environment Influenced His Work

And certes, if it nere to long to here,

I wolde han told yow fully the manere,

How wonnen was the regne of Femenye

By Theseus, and by his chivalrye;

And of the grete bataille for the nones

Bitwixen Athenës and Amazones;

And how asseged was Ipolita,

The faire hardy quene of Scithia;

And of the feste that was at hir weddinge,

And of the tempest at hir hoom-cominge;

But al that thing I moot as now forbere.

I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,

And wayke been the oxen in my plough.

The remenant of the tale is long y-nough.

I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;

Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute,

And lat see now who shal the soper winne;

And ther I lefte, I wol ageyn biginne.

Geoffrey Chaucer

- Language of the church/learning: Latin

- By the end of the 11th century, French was the main language for secular Europeans

- Chaucer originally learned Old English poetry

- He liked works in Middle English, which were derived from sophisticated French and Italian

-At the start of writing, he used a combination of this French/Italian model as well as that of the more classical poetry

1343-1400

Who: Narrator, third-person

Occasion: The story of the entire piece is beginning

Audience: Villagers who would read/listen

Purpose: Setting the scene for the rest of the story

Subject : Theseus, and his story of glory

Tone: Casual

Summary

-Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, England

-Son of John Chaucer and Agnes Copton

-Literate in French, Latin, and Italian

- Fought in the Hundred Years' War in France

-Taken captive; ransom paid by King Edward III

-Married Phillippa de Roet

-Works were influenced by Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch

-Employed on diplomatic missions by John of Gaunt, appointed controller of Customs

-Began writing his most famous work, The Canterbury Tales

-Elected to parliament and then shortly after, lost his appointments.

-Received pensions from King Richard II and Henry IV

-First to be buried in "Poet's Corner" of Westmister Abbey

How Should This Really Sound?

Once there was a duke named Theseus, who was the ruler of Athens and the greatest warrior of his time. He defeated many kingdoms, including the Amazons of Scythia. He then married the queen, Hippolyta, and she and her sister followed him back to Athens.

I wish I could tell you all about the kingdom before Theseus, and the battle that took place, and the capture of the queen. I wish I could tell you about the wedding and the parties that awaited them at home. Yet I'm not a good storyteller, and it would take too long. I want to make sure we can all talk in hopes of winning free dinner. So let me begin with Theseus, Hippolyta, and her daughter, Emily, and the journey to Athens.

Analysis

Works Cited

Who: Chaucer

Occasion: He is dealing with not having enough money

Audience: Most likely King Henry IV

Purpose: Persuade Henry to renew his salary

Subject: Chaucer's purse

Tone: Comical, light-hearted

-Rhyme varies between A and B, with no official scheme. Rhyming is a matter of convenience or to add beauty, but the focus is on substance of what is being said.

Other Works Include...

The Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse

- "The House of Fame"

Ponders a poet's ability to truthfully record the lives of the famous

- "Truth"

Based on John 8:32, "the truth shall set you free"

Example of religion emphasized within the poetry

Now purse that been to my lyves lyght

And saveour as doun in this worldehere

Out of this toune help me thurgh your might

Sin that ye wole nat been tresorere

For I am shave as nye as any frere;

But yet I prey unto your curtesye,

Beth hevy ageyn or elles mot I dye.

(Lenvoy de Chaucer)

O conquerour of Brutes Albyoun

Which that by line and free eleccioun

Been verray king, this song to you I sende,

And ye that mowen alle oure harmes amende

Have minde upon my supplicacioun.

To yow, my purse, and to noon other wight

Complaine I, for ye be my lady dere.

I am so sory now that ye be light,

For certes but if ye make me hevy chere,

Me were as leef be leyd upon my bere,

For which unto your mercy thus I crye

Beth hevy ageyn or elles mot I dye.

Now voucheth-sauf this day er it be night

That I of yow the blisful soun may here,

Or see your colour like that sonne bright

That of yelownesse hadde never pere.

Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere,

Quene of comfort and of good companye,

Beth hevy ageyn of elles mot I dye.

"Chaucer." Chaucer. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Knight's Tale." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

Farrer, Angela, and W. Everett. "What Is Medieval Poetry?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

"Geoffrey Chaucer." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

Rumens, Carol. "Poem of the Week: The Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse." Theguardian. Guardian News, 2016. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

"The Canterbury Tales." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2016.

"The Canterbury Tales Prologue in Middle English." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2016.

"The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages: Introduction." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages: Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2016.

"Truth by Geoffrey Chaucer Analysis & Poem." Poem of Quotes. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

"Writers from the Middle English Period." Writers from the Middle English Period. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2016.

Paraphrasing

To you, my purse, I complain, for you are my beloved. I'm sorry that you're light. I beg for your mercy, and that you be heavy. You are my life, queen of comfort and good company. Be heavy again or else I may die.

Now purse that has been the light of my life and savior, help me through your sin of not being my treasurer. I prey to you, get heavy, or else I may die.

(Speaking to envoy)

O conqueror of Brutes Albyoun, who that by line and free election, is king, this song I send to you. To you, with whom I am on good terms, think about my humble request.

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