Description
Who is the Pearl-poet? How do ideas about his life and interpretations of his poems shape our understanding of his work in late-medieval England-and beyond? In Becoming the Pearl-Poet: Perceptions, Connections, Receptions, readers can explore the world of this extraordinary, fourteenth-century writer. In Part I, "Perceptions," five scholars give insightful literary analyses of the narrative poems attributed to the poet: Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and St. Erkenwald. In Part II, "Connections," six scholars examine connections between these diverse poems, focusing on authorship, ecology, material culture, sartorial adornment, shields, and the poet's pastoral theology. In Part III, "Receptions," scholars consider the illustrations of the Pearl Manuscript (British Library MS Cotton Nero A.x), the poet's cultural situatedness in the Northwest Midlands and Ricardian court, his religious contexts, later translations and paraphrases of his work, and his medieval and modern audiences. Intended for students and scholars alike, this book encourages readers to gain a deeper understanding of the Pearl-poet and his world, learning many new things and enjoying old things in a new way.
About the Author
Jane Beal is professor of English literature and the chair of English department at the University of La Verne in southern California.
Reviews
Year by year, my students love the Pearl-Poet more and more. This is the volume I have been waiting to give them. The essays address the issues that come up in discussion every semester, with fresh perspectives and updated scholarship.
-- Ryan McDermott, University of PittsburghBook Information
ISBN 9781793646750
Author Jane Beal
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint Lexington Books
Publisher Lexington Books
Weight(grams) 581g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 159mm * 23mm