POETRY-1 (ENG403)

LECTURE – 2

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• Poetry• Categories of Poetry• Types of Poetry• How to Analyze Poetry

o Rhythm, meter, o Rhyme scheme o Literary Aspecto Figures of Speech

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• Categories of Poetryo Descriptive Poetryo Narrative poetryo Reflective Poetry

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• Types of Poetryo Lyric Poetryo Ballado Sonneto Odeo Elegyo Epic

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• How to Analyze Poetryo Rhythm, meter, o Rhyme schemeo Literary Aspecto Figures of Speech

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• Figures of SpeechoMetaphoro Simileo PersonificationoMetonymyo Apostropheo Hyperboleo Understatemento Litotes

REVIEW OF LECTURE 1

• Figures of Speecho Alliterationo Assonanceo Consonanceo Onomatopoeia o Anaphorao Antithesiso Paradoxo Oxymoron

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• A period of great activities:o Background o Political o Social o Religious o Literary

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• Backgroundo The Norman Conquest (1066)o Rise of Anglo-French Aristocracyo French in English Courto English: used by Lower Classes o Loss of Normandy (1204)o Feeling of Antagonismo Literature was produced in French

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• Politicalo The Norman Conquesto 100 year’s war o 1337-1453 o Between England and Franceo National Consciousnesso Patriotic Feelingso Birth of Parliament

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• Socialo Black death (1348-49) o Living Standard ImprovedoRise of craftsmen and merchants o Rise of Middle Class

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• Religiouso Great changes occurredo English court was loyal to Popeo Conflict with France gave rise to patriotismo It weakened the pope’s authorityo Pope’s court became corrupto It gradually prevailed in the whole society o Prestige of church declined

INTRODUCTION TO 14th CENTURY

• Literaryo Medieval literature o Religious Themeso Very few notable literary works o Renaissance in Italy

NOTABLE WRITERS OF THE AGE • William Langland – the social discontent, preaching

equality of men & dignity of labor• John Wycliff – Translated Bible, gave people Gospel

in their own language• John Gower – criticized vigorous life & afraid of its

consequences• John Mandeville – Travels and travelers, romancing

about wonders to be seen abroad• Geoffrey Chaucer – Introduction of Heroic Couplet in

the Canterbury Tales.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

• Father of English Poetry• Representative poet of 14th century • Introduced Heroic Couplet in English Literature

• Selection included in this courseo The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

BIOGRAPHY OF THE POET (1)• Birth: London in 1340 c.• Father: Vintner (wine merchant)• French, Latin and Italian• 1357: Geoffrey joined service of Elizabeth• 1359: went to take part in war• March 1360: taken as a prisoner• The king paid £16 as ransom• A year later he joined royal service• 1366: married Philippa, later became maid• Sister to 3rd wife of John of Gaunt

BIOGRAPHY OF THE POET (2)

• Received Gaunt’s patronage• Had two sons• 1367: granted annuity for life• 1367-1378: Diplomatic and commercial missions

abroad• 1368: became king’s esquire• 1369: The Book of the Duchesse• 1334 lines; octosyllabic couplets

BIOGRAPHY OF THE POET (3)

• 1372-73: sent to Italy as an Ambassador• Met Petrarch, Boccaccio• Dante’s works inspired him to write in vulgar English• 1374: Became controller of customs • 1385: Lost his job & rent free home• Moved to Kent; appointed as justice of peace • 1385: Elected to the Parliament; representative of Kent • Period of great creativity• Troilus and Cressida

BIOGRAPHY OF THE POET (4)• 1387: His wife died• 1389: appointed clerk of king’s works• To upkeep and repair governmental buildings• Used to take money to give to laborers• 1390: received royal gifts and pension• 1399: His annuity was increased• Spent last year of his life in Greenwich• 1400: Died in London.• Buried in Westminster Abbey in ‘poet’s corner’• 1555: Monument was erected to him

SOURCES OF NARRATIVE INSPIRATION

• Latin, French and Italian works• Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Loris• Ovid’s poems• Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio

IMPORTANT WORKS• The Book of the Duchess (1369)

o Blanche, the Duchess of Lancastero Based on French sources; Roman de la Rose by

Guillaume de Machaut• The House of Fame (1374-1385)

o Ovid, Virgil, Dante• Translated The Consolation of Philosophy by

Boethius• Parliament of Birds• The Canterbury Tales

PERIODS OF INFLUENCE

• The French Period• The Italian Period• The English Period

THE FRENCH PERIOD

• The Romance of the Rose• The Book of the Duchess• Poems

o The Complaint unto Pityo The complaint of Marso Queen Anelida and The ABC

THE ITALIAN PERIOD

• The Parliament of Fowls• Troilus and Creseyde• The House of Fame• Palamon and Arcite • The Legend of Good

Women

ITALIAN WRITERS• Dante:o The Divine Comedy

• Boccaccio: o The Decameron

• PetrarchLyric Poet

THE ENGLISH PERIOD

• Minor Poems• The Canterbury Tales

o Collection of Taleso Original Plan: 120 storieso Contain 24 storieso 2 are unfinished

CHAUCER’S LANGUAGE

• Over 600 Years Old• Changes in meaning, spelling, vocabulary etc.• Usually modern text is available for comprehension• Availability of glosses• These become unnecessary gradually

THE PROLOGUE TO THE CANTERBURY TALES• Framework Pilgrimage• Diverse assembly of narrators • Rhyming verse written in Middle English• Collection of stories narrated by 3o pilgrims• The shrine of Thomas à Becket• Each will tell 4 stories• Plan of 120 stories

HEROIC COUPLET• A pair of rhyming lines written in Iambic Pentameter• Groups of syllables are called ‘feet’• Pentameter Five feet• ‘Iambic’ refers to the foot used• An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

‘a verse having five accents with the lines rhyming in pairs’ Befell ∣ that, in ∣ that sea ∣ son on ∣ a day,∣In south ∣ work at ∣ the Ta ∣ bard as ∣ I lay,∣

at night ∣ was come ∣ into ∣ that hos ∣ telry ∣well nine ∣ and twen ∣ ty in ∣ a com ∣ pany ∣

CHAUCER AS A REPRESENTATIVE POET OF 14TH CENTURY

• The Canterbury Tales• Representative work• Brought Literature Closer to Life• Presents all the stratum of society

o Feudal classo Religious classo Social class

CHAUCER AS A MODEL

• Styles and techniques

• Shakespeare• John Dryden • Alexander Pope

RECAP OF LECTURE 2

• Background• Introduction to 14th century• Important writers of 14th century• Biography of G. Chaucer• Works & Three Periods of Influence• Chaucer’s Language• Introduction to The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

REFERENCES• www.Cliffnotes.com• www.Sparknotes.com• A Quintessence of English Poetry, Dr Rubina Kamran, Farrukh Zad

. NUML, Islamabad.• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/chaucer_geoffrey.shtml• www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/Chaucer_Canterbury_Prologue.ppt