Medieval Era
 

Introduction

The various names for the period between A.D. 500 and 1500--the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, and the Medieval Era--all reflect its position between the cultural achievements of the Roman Empire, which fell in A.D. 476, and the flourishing of art and science in the Renaissance, which began around the 1400s. While the accomplishments of this period may not match those of adjacent eras, they nevertheless are significant. In addition to Gothic architecture and influential philosophy, this period produced a number of literary masterpieces, including the epic poems Beowulf and Song of Roland, highly unrealistic romances such as those about King Arthur and his knights, and short, often humorous works by writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer. The dominant religious, political, and cultural force in Western Civilization at this time was the Christian Church, headed by the pope. The Church's monastic orders, including the Franciscans and Dominicans, made a number of important cultural contributions, including Gregorian chants. 

Ballads

Read each of the following poems.  If the title appears as a link, you can find it by clicking on the link.  Otherwise, you can find it in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama on the page number in parentheses. In some cases, the ballad is available both on the Web and in the text book. As you read and study the poems, consider the following questions: What seem to be the distinctive characteristics of ballads?  Consider their use of figurative language, rhyme, alliteration, rhythm, and refrain, as well as their style of narration. 

Inferno

  • While Inferno largely depicts ideas from Christian doctrine, Dante also pays a lot of attention to pagans such as Aristotle. Indeed, it is a pagan, Virgil, who escorts Dante through Hell. What role do these pagans play in the poem? 
  • Dante is noted for his use of imagery. Find several examples of his imagery. What does it contribute to the poem? 
  • Characterize Dante's style. How does he describe characters and actions? It may help to compare this style with that of other works you have read. For example, while Inferno and John Milton's Paradise Lost are similar in some respects, the style of these two epic poems is quite different. What differences do you see, and how do you explain them? 
  • The Divine Comedy, of which Inferno is the first part, is one of the most allusive works in Western literature. Identify several allusions and comment on why you think Dante included them in his poem. 
  • What makes Inferno an example of allegory? Choose a particularly allegorical passage and identify at least three levels on which it can be interpreted. You may want to review Dante's explanation of the four senses in which one can interpret literature: the literal, the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical. Why would someone want to write--or, for that matter, read--an allegory? 
  • How do the punishments that Dante encounters in Hell demonstrate the notion of contrapasso? 
  • Is Inferno a didactic work? Defend your answer by referring to specific details. 
  • Scholars have noted that the poem's protagonist, Dante the Pilgrim, develops over the course of the poem. What is the nature of this development? In tracing this development, it may help to distinguish between Dante the Pilgrim and Dante the Poet. 
  • What does Inferno say about the nature, cause, and consequences of evil? 

Bibliography

  • Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy, Volume 1: Inferno. Trans. Mark Musa. New York: Penguin, 1984.
  • Mays, Shanna, and Zach Minor. "Medieval Manuscripts." 1999. www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/introlit/ms2.htm
  • McPherson, Joshua, Sweta Patel, Garrett Patton, Mari Powers, and Andy Qureshi. "What is a Manuscript?" 1999. www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/introlit/ms.htm

People

  • St. Thomas Aquinas 
  • Geoffrey Chaucer 
  • Dante Alighieri 
  • popes 
  • monks 

Places

  • Florence, Italy 
  • Rome, Italy 
  • Notre-Dame de Paris 

Events

  • Crusades (1095-1272) 

Terms

  • allegory 
  • alliteration
  • allusion 
  • ballad
  • convention 
  • epic 
  • genre 
  • femme fatale 
  • imagery 
  • lyric
  • medieval 
  • metaphor
  • Muse 
  • narrative poem 
  • paper 
  • parchment 
  • persona 
  • poem
  • refrain
  • rhyme
  • romance 
  • simile 
  • symbol 
  • terza rima