Chaucer's Dream Poetry in Context such as love are explored by a narrator recounting a dream. Writing incorporating dreams was popular in medieval England because it allowed poets to discuss issues without taking a strong moral stance. Several of Chaucer's contemporaries, such as Langland in "Piers Plowman", used this approach; Chaucer would also have been familiar with this form from the 13th-century French poem “The Romance of the Rose,” which he translated into English. This article explores Chaucer's dream poetry in its medieval context. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the reasons why dream poetry was such a popular medium in the Middle Ages was that it allowed for ambiguity. The dream form allows poets to explore a range of perspectives without committing to any one in particular. Indeed, in the final lines of “Parliament of the Birds,” Chaucer reinforces the fact that what he was saying was not a concrete statement of belief but simply a dream in response to a book he had read: “I wook, and other bokes brought me to/To redo, and yet I always redo.” By emphasizing his enjoyment of books and stating that he plans to continue reading more, the final lines act almost as a warning, emphasizing that his dream did not arise from his own original thoughts but was motivated by those of another . One reason why medieval poets may have been reluctant to extol their own political or religious views is that their success depended on the goodwill of their patrons. Before the advent of the printing press in 1476, books had to be written by hand, which was a time-consuming and expensive job. This meant that it was essential for poets to please their wealthy patrons, who could finance this and often commissioned works. Men like John of Gaunt, Chaucer's patron, might not have wanted to be associated with poets who had radical ideas or views with which they simply did not agree. Chaucer further distances himself from the issues addressed by placing them in a surrealist framework. In the “Parliament of Birds”, for example, he explores the very current issue of marriage. Many marriages were arranged and women were often considered property. Divorce was extremely unusual and was only possible for a small number of reasons, such as because the husband or wife was not a Christian. These conventions were not accepted by all, however, and debates took place over the cases in which divorce should be permitted and the sanctity of marriage. If Chaucer had explored this subject in a familiar setting, for example by writing about the relationships between the people at the court where he worked, it would have been a sensitive issue, especially since his boss, John of Gaunt, married three times and had four children. of marriage. The setting of the dream allows us to approach this problem in a way that seems simply fanciful at first reading. In each of his dream poems, Chaucer draws inspiration from a particular book. Cicero's "Scipio's Dream" sparks the narrator's dream in the "Parliament of the Birds" and he was inspired by The Aeneid in "The House of Fame." Ovid’s “Metamorphosis” was the focus of “The Duchess’s Book.” His audience would be familiar with these books and might enjoy the poem even more as their use makes the poem more accessible...

Essay / Chaucer's Dream Poetry in Context such as love are explored by a narrator recounting a dream. Writing incorporating dreams was popular in medieval England because it allowed poets to discuss issues without taking a strong moral stance. Several of Chaucer's contemporaries, such as Langland in "Piers Plowman", used this approach; Chaucer would also have been familiar with this form from the 13th-century French poem “The Romance of the Rose,” which he translated into English. This article explores Chaucer's dream poetry in its medieval context. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the reasons why dream poetry was such a popular medium in the Middle Ages was that it allowed for ambiguity. The dream form allows poets to explore a range of perspectives without committing to any one in particular. Indeed, in the final lines of “Parliament of the Birds,” Chaucer reinforces the fact that what he was saying was not a concrete statement of belief but simply a dream in response to a book he had read: “I wook, and other bokes brought me to/To redo, and yet I always redo.” By emphasizing his enjoyment of books and stating that he plans to continue reading more, the final lines act almost as a warning, emphasizing that his dream did not arise from his own original thoughts but was motivated by those of another . One reason why medieval poets may have been reluctant to extol their own political or religious views is that their success depended on the goodwill of their patrons. Before the advent of the printing press in 1476, books had to be written by hand, which was a time-consuming and expensive job. This meant that it was essential for poets to please their wealthy patrons, who could finance this and often commissioned works. Men like John of Gaunt, Chaucer's patron, might not have wanted to be associated with poets who had radical ideas or views with which they simply did not agree. Chaucer further distances himself from the issues addressed by placing them in a surrealist framework. In the “Parliament of Birds”, for example, he explores the very current issue of marriage. Many marriages were arranged and women were often considered property. Divorce was extremely unusual and was only possible for a small number of reasons, such as because the husband or wife was not a Christian. These conventions were not accepted by all, however, and debates took place over the cases in which divorce should be permitted and the sanctity of marriage. If Chaucer had explored this subject in a familiar setting, for example by writing about the relationships between the people at the court where he worked, it would have been a sensitive issue, especially since his boss, John of Gaunt, married three times and had four children. of marriage. The setting of the dream allows us to approach this problem in a way that seems simply fanciful at first reading. In each of his dream poems, Chaucer draws inspiration from a particular book. Cicero's "Scipio's Dream" sparks the narrator's dream in the "Parliament of the Birds" and he was inspired by The Aeneid in "The House of Fame." Ovid’s “Metamorphosis” was the focus of “The Duchess’s Book.” His audience would be familiar with these books and might enjoy the poem even more as their use makes the poem more accessible...

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