John Gower

Karen Elaine Smyth (University of East Anglia)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

Born c. 1330
Died 1408
Activity c. 1376-c. 1400

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Gower's Works

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With Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, John Gower is one of the most important poets of the English Middle Ages. His renown rests on his numerous short lyrics and the four poems known as the

Mirour de l'Omme

Vox Clamantis

Cronica Tripertita

[also called

Cronica Tripartita

, i.e. the Tripartite Chronicle], and

Confessio Amantis

. Very little is known of Gower's life, but his work is of impressive scope, being written in French, Latin and English, in genres ranging from love lyrics to didactic poems, and addressing religious, political, historical and moral themes. However, the critical heritage has not always compared the poet favourably with his contemporaries because of his reputation as “moral Gower” – his poetry has an overriding concern to censure the vices of the secular…

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2067 words

Citation: Smyth, Karen Elaine. "John Gower". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1825, accessed 03 December 2024.]

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