Literature Foundation 2010
Week 1
Preparation for the first seminar
1. Please read this: how to answer an exam question. I will talk about this in the seminar.
2. Please read The Parliament of Fowls. Here is a parallel text, middle English and modern English. I made this to help you, but if you only read the modern version and ignore the Chaucer, it will do you a considerable disservice. Read the Chaucer, and where you don't understand, look across at the modern version for help. And you should use the notes in the Brewer edition too.
3. Prepare for discussion a reading of the following:
1 The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,
2 Thassay so hard, so sharp the conquering,
3 The dredful Ioy, that alwey slit so yerne,
4 Al this mene I by love, that my feling
5 Astonyeth with his wonderful worching
6 So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke,
7 Nat wot I wel wher that I wake or winke.
8 For al be that I knowe nat love in dede,
9 Ne wot how that he quyteth folk hir hyre,
10 Yet happeth me ful ofte in bokes rede
11 Of his miracles, and his cruel yre;
12 Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre,
13 I dar not seyn, his strokes been so sore,
14 But God save swich a lord! I can no more
Please meet in your subgroups to think about this passage, and in particular prepare to answer the following questions:
What does the poet mean by 'love' in this quotation?
Why is love a Lord?
Why is love a 'dredful Ioy'?
What is 'fine amour'?
