Loading your reading…

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They LivedLong, William J. (William Joseph)

History

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

Name: Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived
Author: Long, William J. (William Joseph)

Long, William J. (William Joseph)

American literature -- History and criticism; English literature -- History and criticism

Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
        _Whan Zephirus aik with 'is swaite braith_

      Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
        _Inspeerëd hath in ev'ree holt and haith_

      The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
        _The tendre croopës, and th' yoongë sonnë_

      Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
        _Hath in the Ram 'is hawfë coors ironnë,_

      And smale fowles maken melodye,
        _And smawlë foolës mahken malyodieë,_

      That slepen al the night with open ye
        _That slaipen awl the nicht with open eë_

      (So priketh hem nature in hir corages)
        _(So priketh 'eem nahtur in hir coorahgës)_

      Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.
        _Than longen folk to goon on peelgrimahgës._

EARLY WORKS OF CHAUCER. In his first period, which was dominated by French
influence, Chaucer probably translated parts of the _Roman de la
Rose_, a dreary allegorical poem in which love is represented as a
queen-rose in a garden, surrounded by her court and ministers. In
endeavoring to pluck this rose the lover learns the "commandments" and
"sacraments" of love, and meets with various adventures at the hands of
Virtue, Constancy, and other shadowy personages of less repute. Such
allegories were the delight of the Middle Ages; now they are as dust and
ashes. Other and better works of this period are _The Book of the
Duchess_, an elegy written on the death of Blanche, wife of Chaucer's
patron, and various minor poems, such as "Compleynte unto Pitee," the
dainty love song "To Rosemunde," and "Truth" or the "Ballad of Good
Counsel."

Characteristic works of the second or Italian period are _The House of
Fame_, _The Legend of Good Women_, and especially _Troilus and
Criseyde_. The last-named, though little known to modern readers, is one
of the most remarkable narrative poems in our literature. It began as a
retelling of a familiar romance; it ended in an original poem, which might
easily be made into a drama or a "modern" novel.

[Sidenote: STORY OF TROILUS]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

No reviews yet