Anglo-Norman Poetry

Poets

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1. 13th C. Earliest Anglo-Norman poet.
2. Patronized by Adelaide of Louvaine, Queen of Henry I
3. His poem: Livre des Creatures on astronomy, written in 1119, the text is also known as ‘Comput’ as it deals with the numbers in the calender.

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1. 12th C. French poet, patronized by Henry II
2. He wrote:
   1. Roman de Troie of 30000 lines (The Romance of Troy), it is the source text of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde. A paraphrase of the history of Phyrgian Dares.
   2. Chronique des duces de Normandie, a paraphrase of Latin histories of Dudo St. Quentin and Guillaume de Jumieges. It begins with the creation of the world and ends with the death of Henry I.

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1. Known for his historical poem written in Latin : Le Chronique de Jorden Fantosme (Chronicle of the War between the English and the Scots in 1173 & 1174), describes the baron’s revolt against Henry II and William the Lion’s Scottish incursion into Northern England in 1173 – 1174.
2. Matthew Strickland refers to this poem as of : ” Primary importance for the study of war, diplomacy, and knighthood, in the Anglo-Norman Period”

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1. 12th C. French court poet, known for 5 Arthurian Romances between 1160 – 1180:
   1. Erec: About an Arthurian knight, who is put to various trials to claim the love of Enide.
   2. Cliges: About the knight Cliges and his love for his uncle’s wife, Fenice.
   3. Lancelot: Deals with love affairs of Guinevere and Lancelot.
   4. Yvain: Centers on a knight who is exiled from the favours of his lady and required to perform a number of deeds before regaining her.
   5. Perceval: dedicated to his patron  Philip, Count of Flanders. It narrates the adventures and growing pains of young knight perceval.

1. Chretien’s tales, written in the vernacular, followed the appearance in France of Wace’s Roman de Brut (1155), a translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia regum Britanniae, which introduced Britain and the Arthurian legend to Continental Europe.

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1. Female French poet of 12th C. probably the half-sister of Henry II (1154-1189), considered by many to be marie, daughter of Geoffrey VI of Anjou (father of Henry II)
2. She wrote in Anglo-Norman
3. Best known for Lias, a short lyrical poem.
4. Also wrote 103 short fables with prologue and epilogue. 63 original, rest derived from Aesop’s fable.
5. Lias
   1. collection of 12 narratives.
      1. Guigermar
      2. Equitan
      3. Le Fresne ( The Ash Tree)
      4. Bisclaveret ( The Were Wolf)
      5. Lanval
      6. Les Deus Amanz (The two lovers)
      7. Yonec
      8. Milum
      9. Chaitivel (The Unfortunate One)
      10. Chevrifoil (Honey Suckle)
      11. Eliduc
   2. considered the first significant collection of medieval  romance
   3. Lias begins with a prologue.

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Religious or Didactic Poetry 

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1. 12th C book of middle English homilies.
2. Holy book written by a certain monk Orm or Ormin, a mass of religious commentary in unrhymed and not alliterative verse.
3. Meter is based on the Latin Septenarius with 15 syllables.
4. Dialect: North-East-Midlands.
5. INCOMPLETE with collection of Homilies on the Gospels with 19000 lines.
6. The name orm derives from Old Morse, Means Worm, Serpent or Dragon, with suffix myn for man.
7. Dedication: to brother Walter.
8. only one copy is preserved in Bodleian Library MS Junius I.
9. The theological content is derivative, Orm closely follows Bede’s exeges of Luke.

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1. 13th century poem, anonymous and of 2000 lines poem,
2. octosyllabic couplet,
3. didactic poem ascribed to Master Nicholas of Guildford.
4. Earliest Middle English Debate Poetry.
5. It consists of a long argument between the nightingale representing the lighter joy of life and the owl standing for wisdom and sobriety.

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Alliterative Poems Written in West-middle Dialect