Middle English Period

by Junaid Akram Bhatti | Posted on 22Feb 2022

Middle English or Anglo-Norman period 1066-1500

I. Language French.
II. Four dialects.
III. Mostly work poetry.
IV. Norman’s conquest 1066.
V. Calligraphy was a new system of printing books developed in the 1400s.
VI. The Black Death 1348-50 in the reign of Edward lll.
VII. The hundred years war 1337-1453 between English and French.
VIII. Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch are all Italian.
IX. Dante’s Divine comedy is to reveal the secrets of after-life.
X. 13th century is the most important epoch in intellectual history of
Europe.
XI. In addition to Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland flowering of
Middle English literature is evident in the works of Gawain poets.
XII. Sir Gawain and Green Knight poems were written in the mid to late
14th Century (Renaissance) mostly these are three poems Pearl, Purity,
and Patience.

William Langland 1332-1400

• Sarcastic poet.
• Prince of plagiarists.
• Dryden called him father of English language.
• Father of English poetry.
• Grandfather of English Novel.
• Chaucer word derived from French language.
• He has four children.
• He is called English Homer.
• Four languages are known by Chaucer.
• He was a civil servant.
• Member of Parliament 1386.
• Imprisoned by French 1360 during hundred years war.
• “Morning star of Renaissance “said by Albert.
• Morning star of songs.
• “The earliest of the great moderns” said by Albert.
• Lived during the reign of Edward lll, Richard ll and Henry lV.
• Chaucer used East Midland dialect.
• “The well of English undefined “the quality of Chaucer does this phrase
is his avoidance of foreign influences.
• Lowes talking about Chaucer “He found English a dialect and left it a
language”.
• Matthew Arnold says,” With Chaucer is born our real poetry”. He also
adds “What is lacking in Chaucer is high seriousness”.
• First work by Chaucer is “The book of the Duchess” 1369 in which he
used Ottawa Rima.