The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in Contemporary Literature.
- Author/Editor
- Stemmler, Theo.
- Title
- The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in Contemporary Literature.
- Published
- Stemmler, Theo. "The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in Contemporary Literature." In Ulrich Broich, Theo Stemmler, and Gerd Stratmann, eds. Functions of Literature: Essays Presented to Erwin Wolff on His Sixtieth Birthday. (Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1984). Pp. 21-38.
- Review
- Stemmler here comments on Gower's "Vox Clamantis" (particularly the "Visio" of Book 1) as one among eleven examples of political poetry written in response to the Revolt of 1381, in all cases, emphasizing "political effect" while identifying "artistic techniques" that support the politics (22). He surveys "the most important historical facts about the Revolt" (23) and then divides the eleven poems into two group: seven that express the "voice of the disadvantaged," centering on verse letters attributed to John Ball, and four (including VC) in which the "political position reflects contemporary orthodox doctrines" (35) and the use of Latin indicates an educated and/or courtly audience. Stemmler treats each work in turn as they together represent a "broad spectrum of political convictions" (38), although he generally speaks more favorably of those on the political left. Concerning VC, he remarks on the "immense apparatus of political / rhetorical artifice and numerous quotations from Latin authors" (35) and how, in his view, "artistic methods are subservient to the [conservative] political intent" of Gower's poem (38). [MA. Copyright. John Gower Society. eJGN 42.2]
- Date
- 1984
- Gower Subjects
- Vox Clamantis