Courtly And Uncourtly Views Of Poetry :: essays research papers

Between the twelfth and fifteenth century, the form of the lyric was founded in and became very popular within England. Few of the lyrics that were composed remain in existance today. This is mainly due to the fact that these lyrics were transferred orally. This meant they were never printed or published. The ones we do have paint for us a vague but sufficient picture of life as it was in these times. Particularily they give us a peek into the lives of the women of the medieval era and how they were viewed by their patriarchal society. The ways women were portrayed in much of the poetry can be expressed in two broad categories: courtly and uncourtly. The former of these categories developed from the lyrics of the Provenà §-al troubadours. The latter is, in relation, a more modern view of women, one that sees them as irritating and stupid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Courtly poetry, as I said, developed from the lyrics of the troubadours. Although there are many similarities, such as the woman’s high status, there are also many dissimilarities. One of the most obvious of these is these poets acceptance of the real world. It is difficult to find references to other women in the troubadours’ poetry let alone other relationships as one would find in the Middle English courtly lyric. An example of such a reference can be found in the refrain: â€Å"An handy hap ich habbe ihent! / Ichot from hevene it is me sent; / From alle wimmen my love is lent, / And light on Alisoun†(Luria, 27). This poet tells his lady that his heart is set on her and no other woman can pull him away. To a troubadour saying that there was anything but his lady would be abominable. There is little of the intensity of devotion and the analysis of love that is characteristic of the Troubadours. Nor are these personal lyrics of private, intimate love. On the contrary, they are public poems operating through well-recognized conventions. These conventions are a little different from those of the troubadours as well. The lady has hair of gold, a long neck, a slender waist and is often described as being prudent and wise. But these poems focus not on the lady but on the lover and his suffering for derne love or secret love. The lover’s day is spent sighing and begging his lady to pity and have mercy on him.