On John Gower's Poem in Praise of Peace.
- Author/Editor
- Schlauch, Margaret.
- Title
- On John Gower's Poem in Praise of Peace.
- Published
- Schlauch, Margaret. "On John Gower's Poem in Praise of Peace." Acta Philologica 9 (1979): 161-67.
- Review
- This interesting early article on Gower's "In Praise of Peace" begins by summarizing the poem's origins and form, and then moves on to examine the place of the poem in the Gower's evolving reflections on the nature of war and peace. Schlauch asserts that Gower's association of good kingship with a desire for personal and political peace "speaks to us moderns eloquently across the centuries," for "Historical conditions may change, but the desire for peace remains fundamental" (163). Nevertheless, Schlauch points out that Gower's praise of peace has limits, and she cites both the "Vox Clamantis" and the "Confessio Amantis" to point out that Gower identifies but fails to define a just war (165), and that while Book III of the CA appears to condemn wars "in the name of religion" (166), the VC appears to encourage them. The article therefore ends by raising the question of whether Gower's admiration for Henry IV leads to this ambiguity in spite of his recognition of the "fundamental importance of peace for mankind as a whole" (167). [NG. Copyright. John Gower Society. eJGN 42.1]
- Date
- 1979
- Gower Subjects
- In Praise of Peace
Vox Clamantis
Confessio Amantis