Middle English Poetry Medieval Period: 11th-15th century
Narrative Genres Epics Breton lais Romances Fabliaux Beast fables and bestiaries
Romance Story of heroic adventure often encompassing courtly love A chivalrous, heroic knight, who, abiding chivalry's strict codes, fights and defeats monsters and giants, thereby winning favour with a beautiful but fickle princess. King Arthur Romance
14th Century Poetic Romances Arthurian Alliterative Mort Arthure Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Chaucer, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Illustration from Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight
Breton Lais Short, rhymed tales of love and chivalry Courtliness and magic The Lais of Marie de France –11thc.
Secular Lyric Poetry Ballades: poems with at least three stanzas having the same rhyme and metrical schemes and repeating the same last line: refrain “summer is icumen in”
Courtly Love Humility Courtesy Adultery The Religion of Love
Geoffrey Chaucer c. 1343-1400 The Book of the Duchess Troilus and Criseyde The Canterbury Tales
The route from London to Canterbury Cathedral William Blake, The Canterbury pilgrims