A Devil of a Coincidence: Study on Milton and Gower.

Author/Editor
Whisman, Derek K.

Title
A Devil of a Coincidence: Study on Milton and Gower.

Published
Whisman, Derek K. "A Devil of a Coincidence: Study on Milton and Gower." M.A. Thesis. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2010. Open access at http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42655 (accessed January 22, 2023).

Review
In this M.A. thesis Whisman addresses similarities between aspects of Milton's characterizations of Sin and Death in "Paradise Lost" and parallel characterizations in Gower's MO. He describes "common threads" (34) among several classical and Christian precedents, and explores possibilities that Milton may have known Gower's French poem, despite the fact that it was generally unknown (unacknowledged?) until G. C. Macaulay (re)discovered the only surviving manuscript of the poem in 1895, publishing his edition of it in 1899. Delight in his topic--and a touch of exuberance--is evident in Whisman's title and recurs throughout his study. He deals in many "possibilities" as he steers quickly through his secondary research, commenting on the biographies and literary status of his two poets, Milton's knowledge of CA, Spenser's possible use of CA in his "Faerie Queene" (for the Deadly Sins), the possibility that Milton could read French, Macaulay's discovery, J. S. P. Tatlock's 1906 discussion of parallels between the characterizations in MO and "Paradise Lost," John's Fisher's speculations about the physical location(s) of the MO manuscript, John Steadman's possibility that Basil's "Sixth Homily on the Hexaemeron" was a common source, and ongoing scholarly hesitancy about claiming any direct influence. Whisman adds several possible--but strained--verbal echoes between the texts and, wisely, refrains from asserting influence, direct or mediated. He does assert, however, that if direct influence were ever established, or even if a common source (beyond their "primary source," the Bible) were to be found, it would demand that we "rethink the composition" of PL (47) and "help to return Gower to a prominent place in English studies" (48). [MA. Copyright. John Gower Society. eJGN 42.2]

Date
2010

Gower Subjects
Influence and Later Allusion
Mirour de l'Omme (Speculum Meditantis)