My Medieval Poet - JOHN GOWER

Is an English poet (1330 – 1408), nothing is known about his training but speculations are that he was trained in law. His three main works are: Mirour de l'Omme (an allegorical poem about the fall of man and the effect of sin in the world), Vox Clamantis (also deals of sin and corruption of society) and his most acclaimed Confessio Amantis.

• Confessio Amantis or The Lover's Confession is written in English at the request of Richard II who was concerned that so little was being written in English. It is a collection of tales dealing with courtly love narrative poems are short. It is a poem of patterns and postures, divided into a prologue and eight books that are divided by themes, the narrative structure has three levels which are: the external question, the narrative structure and the individual tales that make up the work. Considered one of the great works of the 14th century with the works of Chaucer, Langland and the Pearl poet. It is considered a poem of consolation, a medieval form that was inspired by Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy”.  It is most studied along with collections of short stories with similar structures as "Decameron" of Boccaccio and particularly Chaucer "Canterbury Tales", for the Confessio has several stories in common.

 (Posted by Rafaela Souza)