Middle English Literature

John Gower (c. 1330? - 1408) - English poet.

Gower, John was the best-known contemporary and friend of Chaucer, who addressed him as “Moral Gower,” at the end ofTroilus and Criseyde. Apparently he was a Kentish landowner who lived in London until his last years, when he became blind and retired as a layman to the priory of St. Mary Overey. In the 15th and 16th cent. Gower was frequently paired with Chaucer as a master of English poetry. He is remembered primarily for three major works, theMirroir de l'Omme ,Vox Clamantis , andConfessio Amantis , three long poems written in French, Latin, and English respectively, which are united by common moral and political themes. Gower's first work wasMirour de l'Omme (i.e .Mirror of Man ) (written before 1381), an allegorical poem in French meditating on the fall of man and the effect of sin on the world. Gower later changed the title toSpeculum Meditantis to fit with the titles of his later works. is an allegorical manual of the vices and virtues; Around 1381, Gower began work onVox Clamantis (i.e .The Clamoring Voice ), an essay in Latin elegiac verse. Like theSpeculum Meditantis , it too treats of sinfulness, and criticizes the corruption of the society.

It also provides a contemporary view of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Gower's moral and philosophical writings were highly praised by his peers. In 1385, Gower's good friend, Geoffrey Chaucer, dedicated theTroilus and Criseyde to him, giving him the epithet "moral Gower."

Confessio Amantis , (i.e.Lover's Confession ) Gower's masterpiece (written c.1390) is a collection of stories that illustrate the Seven Deadly Sins. Unlike his previous works, Gower wrote theConfessio in English at the request of Richard II who was concerned that so little was being written in English. It is a collection of tales and exempla treating of courtly love. The framework is that of a lover complaining first to Venus, and later in the work, confessing to her priest, Genius.Confessio Amantis made an important contribution to courtly love literature in English. Some of the stories have their counterparts in Chaucer'sCanterbury Tales , and one of the stories later served as the source for Shakespeare'sPericles , in which Shakespeare had Gower appear in the Chorus. Gower revisedConfessio Amantis in 1393, replacing the praise of King Richard II with a dedication to Henry of Lancaster. In return, Henry presented Gower with an ornamented collar.

Next, Gower composed a series of Latin poems. Among his minor works areCinkante Ballades , which are love poems in French, andIn Praise of Peace , a poem in English.

Old and blind, John Gower died in 1408, leaving a considerable estate. He was buried in St. Mary Overies, now Southwark Cathedral, where his tomb can still be seen today.