Middle English Literature: Chaucer and Canterbury Tales
Middle English: The Golden Age
Until 1385, the status of English as a literary language was uncertain, and writers were likely to write in Latin, French, or English. Even in the 14th century, writers still had a choice because English was not established as the language of instruction in schools until 1385. A prime example is John Gower (c. 1327-1408).
He wrote Mirour de l’Omme (c. 1376), Vox Clamantis (c. 1379), and The Lover’s Confession (1390).
The establishment of English as a literary language
Read MoreShakespeare’s Sonnets: Love, Time, and Immortality
Shakespeare’s Sonnets: An Exploration of Love, Time, and Immortality
William Shakespeare’s sonnets, published in 1609, delve into complex emotions. Love, as portrayed by the author, encompasses pain, suffering, sadness, and a melancholic attitude, balanced by moments of joy and happiness in other sonnets. These sonnets offer a rich catalogue of feelings, making them a profound read. Shakespeare employs a variety of tones throughout the 154 sonnets, primarily focusing on love stories that are both
Read MoreJorge Manrique’s ‘Coplas’: Structure, Themes, and Medieval Context
Structure and Themes in Manrique’s ‘Coplas’
Verses I-XII: Abstract Reflections on Death
In this first section, the poem considers death in the abstract. It offers a general and philosophical reflection, noting the speed with which death arrives, always hidden and unexpected, and its equalizing power, as it reaches everyone.
Coplas XIV-XXIV: Death and Historical Figures
This series of stanzas discusses death with specific examples of historical personages of the time. The focus shifts to the death and
Read MoreElements of Communication and Literary Genres
Understanding Communication
Communication is an act by which an individual (human, animal, or object) establishes contact with one or more others to transmit specific information.
Key Elements of Communication
- Issuer: The subject initiating the act of communication.
- Code: A set of interrelated signs and construction rules shared by the sender and receiver.
- Message: The result of coding; the carrier of the information transmitted.
- Channel: The physical medium through which the message circulates.
- Receiver:
Renaissance Lyric Poetry: Themes, Styles, and Schools
Lyric poetry in the first Renaissance: In the early 16th century, Spain entered the Italian sphere through lyric poetry. Spanish poets lived in the Neapolitan court. The drivers of this trend were Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán. Renaissance poets sought the expression of beauty. The most common themes are:
Love
Its conception is purely platonic. Through love for a woman who is idealized, the person is ennobled. The poet analyzes and transmits the mood experienced during infatuation. Sometimes
Read MoreThe Four Great Catalan Chronicles: History and Feats
The Four Great Catalan Chronicles
Book of the Facts of James I
The narrative of the reign of James I. The king died in 1276, and the text was likely finished shortly thereafter. The chronicle is written in the form of an autobiography and gives special importance to the conquest of the Kingdom of Majorca. It was written so that “men would know what we did after this mortal life, what we should have done.” The king presents himself as a heroic and providential figure. This work of justification of
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