Myn Medieval Tayl

[Delta40]

I love thee fyne
But thou hadde none lure
Throgh grucche and grine
And likerous mure

To spak of thyngs bifore
With empty mind I eek
I wolde hem and haw
And ba' thou soft cheke

How poore myn name
Ye mekely sheep!
Thou wolde nat claym
And I took no kep

Aboute barley drynke
Upon my youthe!
Thou koude nat thynke
Wher liste thee gooth

Oh how myn herte falt
Thy bitterly song
Allas, my housbonde sholde nat
Dooth me wronge

I preachstow in gilt
Myn tayl of stryfe
And sooth in feith bilt
Al my sadde lyf

Aye, I koude pleyne
For anger, for ragerye
But I hadde seyn
Wher grace wolde bettre lye

So, moot is thee
Till troublen tymes
Oh thou shall fonde suffre
Wende I byte and whyne!

[Delta40]

Aye, I koude pleyne
For anger, for ragerye
But I hadde seyn
Wher grace wolde best lye

[Delta40]

ok this is taking some work and restructuring but I am really enjoying this journey.

This makes betters sense of what I am trying to say to my ex partner! (we get along just fine - now)

I preachstow in gilt
This tayl of stryfe
And sooth in feith bilt
Al my sadde lyf

I love thee fyne
But thou hadde none lure
Throgh grucche and grine
And likerous mure

I spak tymes bifore
A fonde mynd I eek
I wolde hem and haw
And ba thou soft cheke

Now liste wher thee gooth!
Thou koude nat thynke
Upon my yowthe
Full on barley drynke

Thou koude nat flaym
And I took no kep
How poore myn name
Ye mekely sheep!

Oh how myn herte feels
Thy bitterly song
Housbonde wat reel
Dooth me wronge

Trewe I hadde seyn
Wher grace better laye
Thogh I koude pleyne
Weel of ragerye

Yet, moot am I
Throgh troublen tymes
But thou shall faire suffre
Wende I byte and whyne!

[Silas Thorne]

Great! So rich with linguistic gems. I'm amazed at how you did this. :)

[Virgil]

Delta you have a very strong handle of rhythm. Very impressive. Now I don't know what to make of the middle english. I'm no expert so I can't tell. Is that actual middle english or just the spelling of middle english? I mean it would take a conscious effort to write in middle english. Whatever it is, it was a pleasant read.

[Delta40]

This is middle english. I have recently discovered Chaucer. I love him. I wondered if I too could write my own poem. I have used some Chaucer as a reference and also used poetic license. I am interested in what you wonderful Lit-netters think to the use of middle-english as an expression in 21st century.

[jon1jt]

Wow I've never seen anyone attempt something like this! absolutely gorgeous and if your ex doesn't weep reading this then h/she never knew how to love. :p



A fonde mynd I eek
I wolde hem and haw
And ba thou soft cheke


It brings me back to the music of the language in Gwyneth Paltrow's reciting of Chaucer's Wife Of Bath in the movie Sylvia. (Wistfully) Still my heart remains with the real Sylvia Plath. :P

Your poem should be required reading on Litnet.

[PrinceMyshkin]

jon1jt never said a truer word than just above! I'm with all those who've expressed their admiration for how you did this as if it were the most - if not virtually the only - effective way to chide one's lover! I was expecting your newer submission to be in your own voice. Little did I realize that that would be a 14th c. one! This brought back to me the pleasure of hearing one of my graduate profs speak aloud the opening of The Canterbury Tales.

God bless you and long may you write!

[Virgil]

This is middle english. I have recently discovered Chaucer. I love him. I wondered if I too could write my own poem. I have used some Chaucer as a reference and also used poetic license. I am interested in what you wonderful Lit-netters think to the use of middle-english as an expression in 21st century.

That is an interesting question, whether the use of middle english in the 21st century as a form of expression has a place. It's certainly a novelty. Judging on the basis of your poem, it certainly charged the language. ("Charging the language" is my criteria as to what is poetry, by the way.) But does it add anything? I think it can for a particular poem or two, and then I think the archaism needs to connect with the poem's themes in some fashion. If a 21st century poet were to strictly write in middle english, I don't think it would work. One of the primary functions of poetry is to capture the language as it is. That is in tension with the poet's straining to achieve what I called charged language. One can think of it as there being two opposing pressures that put stress on a poet, (1) to capture the beauty and elegance of the language and (2) push to find new phrasing, originality, and push the language to a new locution. The use of middle english does seem to capture a certain beauty that is buried inside current english, but is it natural? My guess would be no except for an occaisional use. Does it strain the language toward a new locution? Unless there is a concerted effort to bring back middle english I would have to say no. I think ultimately it's a novelty. That's just my opinion of course.

By the way, since you say you like Chaucer, we are planning to read The Canterbury Tales as a group in the near future here on lit net. We are waiting for Petrarch's Love to get more free time from her hectic schedule. She's a reanaissance professor of lit and I think reading Chaucer along with her will be great.

[Silas Thorne]

I'm not sure if delta wanted to write all her poems in Middle English, Virgil. As a form of expression though for a few poems, it would be, and is, just incredible. If there are more in you, delta, get them out. Words are a tool to play with. ;)

I love the lines that jon quoted, and also these ones:

Trewe I hadde seyn
Wher grace better laye
Thogh I koude pleyne
Weel of ragerye

Yet, moot am I
Throgh troublen tymes
But thou shall faire suffre
Wende I byte and whyne!

[Delta40]

It was great fun although I struggled to find the best expression. I am sorry that some of these words are no longer in use. Grucche and grine (grumble and groan) for example resonate really weel....

[Silas Thorne]

Grucche and grine (grumble and groan) for example resonate really weel....

The intent still flows through them. Let them live, I say. :)

[Virgil]

I'm not sure if delta wanted to write all her poems in Middle English, Virgil. As a form of expression though for a few poems, it would be, and is, just incredible.

Oh I thought of that, but decided to give a full answer.

Now I wonder if you all know how to pronounce the middle english? It's before the great vowel shift and other pronouciation differences.

Here's a reading from Piers Plowman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PQN9X4P7ZY

And here's a reading of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU&feature=related

There are differences even between the two, and I think the differences are more due to locality.

[a_little_wisp]

I am floored. I can read it fine (in another medieval lit. class as we speak), but writing it is another thing entirely! My brain would have melted! Absolutely incredible! It must have been fun. :D

[Lokasenna]

That really is most impressive! Chaucer would be proud, methinks!

[PrinceMyshkin]

That is an interesting question, whether the use of middle english in the 21st century as a form of expression has a place. It's certainly a novelty. Judging on the basis of your poem, it certainly charged the language. ("Charging the language" is my criteria as to what is poetry, by the way.) But does it add anything? I think it can for a particular poem or two, and then I think the archaism needs to connect with the poem's themes in some fashion. If a 21st century poet were to strictly write in middle english, I don't think it would work. One of the primary functions of poetry is to capture the language as it is. I'm so happy you qualified that as one of the primary functions of poetry. You know the famous, boastful statement by Shelley, that "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world". All too often it seems to me that a portion of the world sees itself as the acknowledged legislators of poetry". Myself I prefer to think that among its chief pleasures is that the next thing I read that offers itself as a poem might violate every rule I ever knew and accepted and yet be a poem, by virtue of the subtle and/or complex way it moves me.
That is in tension with the poet's straining to achieve what I called charged language. One can think of it as there being two opposing pressures that put stress on a poet, (1) to capture the beauty and elegance of the language and (2) push to find new phrasing, originality, and push the language to a new locution. The use of middle english does seem to capture a certain beauty that is buried inside current english, but is it natural? My guess would be no except for an occaisional use. Does it strain the language toward a new locution? Unless there is a concerted effort to bring back middle english I would have to say no. I think ultimately it's a novelty. That's just my opinion of course.

By the way, since you say you like Chaucer, we are planning to read The Canterbury Tales as a group in the near future here on lit net. We are waiting for Petrarch's Love to get more free time from her hectic schedule. She's a reanaissance professor of lit and I think reading Chaucer along with her will be great.

Apart from the position I stated above, I'm in deep admiration for the rich appreciation you put forward both of poetry in general and of Delta's.

[qimissung]

I love it, and I am in awe of your daring! I love 'sumer is icume in', but it has NEVER occurred to me to try to write like this. Bravo, Delta! Well done!

[firefangled]

Delta, this was an amazing love poem and I enjoyed reading it, even though I felt I never had your affection for Chaucer. You made middle english seem more accessible that I remember.

Kudos to you!

[~Sophia~]

Just echoing all the applause above. I normally find reading Middle English and other variations of the language tedious but, this was easy and such a strong testament to love.

Very well done!

[blp]

I liked it too.

[Delta40]

Thank you everyone for your wonderful feedback. I am overwhelmed and don't quite know how to respond in modern or middle english!

[PrinceMyshkin]

Thank you everyone for your wonderful feedback. I am overwhelmed and don't quite know how to respond in modern or middle english!

They DO offer courses in modern English as a second language, you know.

[Delta40]

Lol. Thanks for the tip Prince. My cuppeth overflow!