Author Description
One of the great innovators of medieval literature, Dafydd ap Gwilym's poetic voice is as distinctive and resonant as those of his more celebrated contemporaries Chaucer and Boccaccio. This major study of the largely submerged popular verse tradition of medieval Wales examines Dafydd's use both of the native popular verse tradition and of the persuasive convention of northern French verse to forge a new kind of poetry for a new age. Composing in the wake of the Edwardian conquest of Wales, Dafyydd (c.1330-70) and a few kindred spirits sought to adapt and revitalize an already sophisticated bardic culture by expanding its subject matter to include a surprising variety of entertainment as well as formal praise. Huw M. Edwards sets out a detailed comparison of Dafydd's verse with the highly influential poetry of northern France, in terms of themes, motifs and poetic genres.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates the intersection of native Welsh bardic traditions and northern French poetic conventions in the work of the medieval poet Dafydd ap Gwilym. Huw M. Edwards, a scholar of medieval Welsh literature, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze how Dafydd adapted foreign motifs to revitalize a post-conquest bardic culture. By situating the poet within the socio-political context of 14th-century Wales, the text argues that Dafydd’s innovation stemmed from a deliberate synthesis of local and continental literary influences.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Comparative analysis of Dafydd ap Gwilym’s verse against northern French poetic traditions.
- Examination of the transition from traditional bardic praise poetry to popular verse forms.
- Discussion of thematic motifs and genre adaptations within the context of the Edwardian conquest of Wales.
- Historical contextualization of the 14th-century Welsh literary landscape.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this monograph as a foundational text for understanding the cross-cultural influences on medieval Welsh poetry. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the precision of the comparative methodology employed by Edwards.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
1996-07-25
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198159013
ISBN-13:
9780198159018
History
Poetry
Welsh Poetry
Criticism history
Literary Criticism
Welsh
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