
The Tale of the Alerion
Guillaume de Machaut(Author)
University of Toronto Press
Published on 29. July 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-1-4426-2606-5 (ISBN)
Description
Guillaume de Machaut, the most important poet and musician of fourteenth-century France, had considerable influence on subsequent generations of writers in both France and England. With this scholarly translation, Minnette Gaudet and Constance B. Hieatt made his long-neglected narrative poem, the Dit de l'alerion - a treatise on love and falconry - available to students of medieval literature.
In the poem, Machaut defines the problems and pleasures of courtly love by comparing them to those of falconry, a sport which modern readers know little about. The introduction and notes to this edition provide valuable information about the art of falconry, thus clarifying aspects of the poem which might be hard to understand today. The scholarly notes and introduction furnish explications and variant readings of obscure passages and comments on wordplay. A running summary of the contents of the poem is also provided in the margins.
In the poem, Machaut defines the problems and pleasures of courtly love by comparing them to those of falconry, a sport which modern readers know little about. The introduction and notes to this edition provide valuable information about the art of falconry, thus clarifying aspects of the poem which might be hard to understand today. The scholarly notes and introduction furnish explications and variant readings of obscure passages and comments on wordplay. A running summary of the contents of the poem is also provided in the margins.
Reviews / Votes
'This attractive volume is a welcome addition to the growing list of works making Guillaume de Machaut more accessible to English readers ... It is to be hoped that the beauty of this English translation and the helpfulness of the introductory material will tempt readers to take up a closer study of Guillaume's original poem.'- Robert Taylor (University of Toronto Quarterly)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4426-2606-5 (9781442626065)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Minnette Gaudet was an associate professor of French at the University of Western Ontario.
Constance B. Hieatt was an emeritus professor of English at the University of Western Ontario.
Constance B. Hieatt was an emeritus professor of English at the University of Western Ontario.