Shoaf here presents a hitherto neglected Middle English text for both undergraduate and graduate classrooms: Thomas Usk's The Testament of Love. Left unpublished since the nineteenth century, Usk's modern edition includes glosses, notes, and a contextualizing introduction to assist students of all levels in approaching Usk's Middle English poem. The fourteenth-century work describes Love descending to Usk's prison cell, and the two engaging in a long, theological conversation reminiscent of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy. Notable for its idiosyncratic imagery, wide variety of themes, and Christian sentimentality, The Testament of Love is a fascinating text to be studied in any Middle English classroom.

About the Author
R. Allen Shoaf is Professor of English at the University of Florida. He co-founded and edited Exemplaria: A Journal of Theory in Medieval and Renaissance Studies between 1987 and 2008 and currently is a member of the Advisory Boards of The Chaucer Review and Advances in Literary Study.


Book Information
ISBN 9781580440011
Author Thomas Usk
Format Paperback
Page Count 471
Imprint Medieval Institute Publications
Publisher Medieval Institute Publications