(2) How does the author emphasize the transition from nature to divinity?
The structure of this opening passage can be regarded as one from the whole Western tradition of the celebration of spring to a local event of English society, from natural forces in their general operation to a specific Christian manifestation. The transition from nature to divinity is emphasized by contrast between the physical vitality which conditions the pilgrimage and the spiritual sickness which occasions the pilgrimage, as well as by parallelism between the renewal power of nature and the restorative power of super nature (divinity).
6. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written about 1375-1400 and the poem
lasts about 2,500 lines. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight brings the reader into a more remote world, a world that belongs to the Celtic legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
The story is a chivalrous romance based on an ancient legend of a Green Knight who challenges the courage of King Arthur’s knights.
Artistically, the poem is a brilliant example of the wisdom of the minstrels of the Middle Ages. It contains several elements, which prepared ground for a new culture. These elements are:
(1) A vivid portrayal of the hero Gawain and a fine analysis of his psychology.
(2) A well-unified and exciting plot full of climaxes and surprises.
(3) The three hunting scenes and the three bedchamber scenes are closely related with each other. The deer, the Boar and the fox is a cunning animal, so is Gawain as he takes the belt from the hostess in order to protect his own life, and in so doing, he violates the chivalric code of honesty.
(4) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a mixture of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight combines alliterative verse with metrical verse.
The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the culmination of the Arthurian romances. It has two main motifs in the story, one is the testing of faith, courage and purity, the other is the proving of human weakness for self-preservation. The two motifs provide the poem with unmistakable traits of chivalric romances, plus some strong Christian coloring. The poem reflects the ideal of feudal knighthood. A true knight should not only dedicate himself to the church but also possess the virtues of great courage, of fidelity to his promise, and of physical chastity and purity.
7. William Langland (1332-1400)
Piers Plowman has three versions. The A text has 2,567 lines. The B text, a revision and extension of the A text, is commonly accepted as the best form of the poem. It has about 7,277 lines. The C text is a substantial revision of the B text, but they are about the same length. Though the poem was popular, its author is little known.
The poem consists of a series of dream visions interrupted with occasional wake-ups.
The poem is a rich and realistic representation of the unhappy side of the life in feudal England at the second half of the 14th century: social injustices, the corruption of the church, the meaningless power struggle in the court, and the sufferings of the poor peasants.
The poem is both allegorical and satirical. In the poem, the poet has several dream visions in which different religious and moral issues are brought into discussion. The poet suggests that honest work and devotion to religion is the way to lead one to heaven. The common people, through their hard work and religious observance, can become better individuals than those corrupt lords and rich people. With vivid imagination, the poet divides the way to Truth into three stages ---- Do Well, Do bet(ter), and Do Best.
7.3 The Writing Features of the Poem
The writing features are:
(1) Pier the Plowman is written in the form of a dream vision. The author tells his story under the guise of having dreamed of it.
(2) The poem is an allegory which relates truth through symbolism.
(3) The poet uses indignant satire in his description of social abuses caused by the corruption prevailing among the ruling classes, ecclesiastical and secular.
(4) The poem is written in alliteration.
(5) Its language is plain and direct, its images are clear as well as familiar.