Write a short essay on the
Middle English romances.
Simply speaking,
romances are fantasies in which the authors make the fullest use of their imagination
and fancy and create an ideal world, which bears little or no semblance with
real life. In the middle of the fourteenth century a revival of the old English
alliterative verse occurs through romances, which develops – side by side with
religions literature. This literature is inspired by French romantic
poems and centers around Chivalry. There is an absence of originality but the
fervour of nationalism is present in the literature of this period. Heroes and
subjects connected with Britain are given reference in the romantic
cycles of chivalry. British stories are valued most and the native poets get
material for their original works.
Thus a
series of romances appear with the Old English epic versification and French
romance invested with dignity and stately splendor. In the Middle English
periodliterature of the 14th and
15th centuries is much more diversified than the previous Old English
literature and
a very great number of romances can be classified according to subject, through
it should be noted that they are both alliterative and rhyming in metre. A variety of French and
even Italian elements influenced Middle English literature, especially in
southern England. In addition, different regional styles were maintained,
in literature and learning had not yet been centralized. For these reasons, as
well as because of the vigorous and uneven growth of national life, the Middle
English period contains a wealth of literary monuments not easily classified.
However, the romances of that period are grouped in three categories. The romances which deal
with English history are known as ‘The matter of England’; romances
dealing with king Arthur is called ‘The Matter of Britain’;
romances dealing with classical theme is called The matter of ‘Rome the Great’;
with the French legends is called ‘The Matter of France’.The Middle English literature
of the 14th and 15th centuries is much more diversified than the previous Old
English literature................................................................................................
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