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Venusâ Owne Clerk
Chaucerâs Debt to the Confessio Amantis
Series: - Costerus New Series Online, Volume: 167
- Costerus New Series, Volume: 167
Author:
Venusâ Owne Clerk: Chaucerâs Debt to the âConfessio Amantisâ will appeal to all those who value a bit of integration of Chaucer and Gower studies. It develops the unusual theme that the Canterbury Tales were signally influenced by John Gowerâs Confessio Amantis, resulting in a set-up which is entirely different from the one announced in the General Prologue. Lindeboom seeks to show that this results from Gowerâs call, at the end of his first redaction of the Confessio, for a work similar to his â a testament of love. Much of the argument centres upon the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner, who are shown to follow Gowerâs lead by both engaging in confessing to all the Seven Deadly Sins while preaching a typically fourteenth-century sermon at the same time. While not beyond speculation at times, the author offers his readers a well-documented and tantalizing glimpse of Chaucer turning away from his original concept for the Canterbury Tales and realigning them along lines far closer to Gower.
"The overall argument of Wim Lindeboomâs book is that Chaucer radically changed his development of the Canterbury Tales as a reaction to reading Gowerâs Confessio. Dr Lindeboom offers a comprehensive and exciting reading of the Tales in the light of the Confessio which I find thought-provoking and insightful. On the way to this reading he provides enlightening discussion on a series of key issues in Chaucer/Gower scholarship. The bookâs unconventional approach is both exciting and stimulating, not afraid to court controversy or to take issue with established views. The truly impressive grasp of detail is continually linked with a broad conception of what these poets were trying to achieve." â Jeremy J. Smith, University of Glasgow
"Lindeboom has written a surprising book â and a courageous. Venusâ Owne Clerk leaves scarcely a time-honoured assumption about the Gower-Chaucer literary relationship unconfronted. Few, perhaps, will agree with his every conclusion, but no one who reads this book can come away unchallenged by its fresh way of seeing." â Robert F. Yeager, University of West Florida
"Lindeboom has written a surprising book â and a courageous. Venusâ Owne Clerk leaves scarcely a time-honoured assumption about the Gower-Chaucer literary relationship unconfronted. Few, perhaps, will agree with his every conclusion, but no one who reads this book can come away unchallenged by its fresh way of seeing." â Robert F. Yeager, University of West Florida
Acknowledgement
Introduction
One: Chaucerâs Changing Design of the Canterbury Tales
Two: Towards Composing a Testament of Love
Three: The Sergeant and Man of Law as Gower
Four: The Testament of Love
Five: Confession, Sin and the Wife of Bath
Six: The Pardonerâs Confession of Sin
Seven: The Wife of Bathâs Sermon
Eight: The Pardonerâs Double Sermon
Conclusion
Reference
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Introduction
One: Chaucerâs Changing Design of the Canterbury Tales
Two: Towards Composing a Testament of Love
Three: The Sergeant and Man of Law as Gower
Four: The Testament of Love
Five: Confession, Sin and the Wife of Bath
Six: The Pardonerâs Confession of Sin
Seven: The Wife of Bathâs Sermon
Eight: The Pardonerâs Double Sermon
Conclusion
Reference
Register