ABSTRACT

Originally published in 1967, The Poetry of John Lydgate presents a broad discussion of John Lydgate’s secular poetry. It reassesses much of the poetry through critical examination and suggests that Lydgate was not necessarily the master that the medieval ages proclaimed him to be, nor the plain poet that he is often seen as in modern analysis. Instead, the book suggest that he was a competent poetic craftsman that presents substantial literary form in his poetry. The analysis in the book looks at Lydgate as atypical of the Middle Ages, instead exhibiting traits currently linked to the Renaissance. The book provides a unique perspective on John Lydgate as a poet and will be of interest to medievalist and literary historians alike.

chapter Chapter One|147 pages

Opinions About Lydgate

chapter Chapter Two|137 pages

The Opinions Reconsidered

chapter Chapter Three|120 pages

The Period of Transition

chapter Chapter Four|108 pages

The Mediaeval Tradition

chapter Chapter Five|95 pages

Classical Antiquity

chapter Chapter Six|85 pages

The Paragon of Animals

chapter Chapter Seven|66 pages

The Nation and the Prince

chapter Chapter Eight|54 pages

The Story of Thebes

chapter Chapter Nine|30 pages

Another Point of View