Confessio Amantis

eventually lead “Gower to be hired by Richard II who was concerned that the English language was not becoming popular” (Jokinen). This was a big achievement at the time, because if a writer was hired by the king of England then that writer would influence writing as a whole. Other writers would try to copy that writer’s style in order to get the king’s favor. At Richard II’s request, “Gower composed his most famous work: “Confessio Amantis” which is a love poem written to the chaplain of Venus” (Jokinen). It was possible, though, that Gower was not a fan of Richard II because “after the death of Richard II, Gower revised the “Confessio Amantis” and replaced all the love praise given to Richard II and gave it to Henry of Lancaster” (Jokinen). To add insult to injury “Gower then wrote “Cronica Tripartita” which condemned the vices of Richard II and his court” (Jokinen). Gower’s work did not become very memorable after he wrote “Cronica Tripartita”, so Gower kind of faded away after that. Most people think that Gower’s claim to fame is the “Confessio Amantis”, however the only reason that Gower became well known was because he knew Geoffrey Chaucer. Being recognized by a king to help make English popular based on his writing style is no small achievement for an author. That achievement has made Gower a prominent writer of the Middle Ages. Not many women authors outside of royalty became well known during the Middle Ages. However, one woman, Margery Kempe, is credited for…

The Importance of Friendship Friendship is, by definition, a relationship between two friends. Some believe that friendships are a necessity for human life. Joseph Conrad was a man who grew up not having many friends. As a young child he had missed school quite a bit from illnesses (Kathleen Wilson 200). This made it hard to have close relationships with other children. He did however gain a love for literature and the sea from his father at a young age (www.notablebiographies.com). This is…

Frederick Tupper in his “Chaucer and the Seven Deadly Sins,” written in 1914, points out that no other “theme, religious or secular, was more widely popular than [this motif]” in his introduction. The most explicit and direct example of Chaucer mentioning seven deadly sins is the “Parson’s Tale.” Chaucer presents the sins from Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, to Lechery, which is the same order as other great medieval literary works such as John Gower’s “Confessio Amantis” and Dante…

or the days God used to create the world. These themes might be obvious to readers, but in spite of the glorious side of the number seven, another symbolism seems to be omitted: the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins is a popular motif in the Middle Ages. In his article “Chaucer and the Seven Deadly Sins” written in 1914, Frederick Tupper points out that no other “theme, religious or secular, was more widely popular than [this motif]” in his introduction. The most explicit and direct…

wrote about courtly love and moral allegory. He was a strong influence for the writing of other poets of his day, and his reputation once coincided that of his friend Chaucer. Gower’s three major works are in French, English, and Latin, and he also wrote a series of French ballads intended for the English court. The Speculum meditantis, or Mirour de l’omme, in French, is a poem composed of 12-line stanzas, opening impressively with a description of the devil’s marriage to the seven daughters of…

types, and other theatrical conventions (Miola, 8) Cornelia C. Coulter described this “Plautine tradition” in 1920, citing Shakespeare use of Egeon’s opening speech as a prologue, the plot resulting in the restoration of long-lost children, and Dromio’s role as the ‘running servant’ as indicators of Plautine influence in the play. The Bible was also used as source material. Specifically the books of Ephesians and Acts contribute to the setting of Ephesus as a place of strange sorceries and to…