ABSTRACT

A considerable number of the manuscripts of the Confessio Amantis contain a Latin colophon, presumably written by John Gower himself, which lists and summarizes his three major works in such a way as to present them as a coherent, unified corpus, held together by an overarching concern with moral instruction. In the Confessio, the formation of a participatory relationship is facilitated by a number of features that distinguish this English poem from Gower's earlier works: the adoption of "oure englissh" as a poetic language, the dialogic structure of the frame narrative where the confessional exchange between Amans and Genius unfolds, and the choice of love as its central theme. By adding Boethian overtones to Amans' confession, Gower encourages his readers to understand it likewise as a therapeutic program aimed at recollection and self-recovery. As a protreptic, the Confessio not only represents the therapeutic program prescribed for Amans, but also invites the readers to engage in therapeutic recollection themselves.