large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_6
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
But I must leave what more I have to say on this subject of the art and literature of the fourteenth century for another occasion. In what I have just said, I only wanted to point out to you that the Middle Ages had by this time come to the fullest growth; and that they could express in a form which was all their own, the ideas and life of the time. BUT I MUST LEAVE WHAT MORE I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS SUBJECT OF THE ART AND LITERATURE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY FOR ANOTHER OCCASION IN WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID I ONLY WANTED TO POINT OUT TO YOU THAT THE MIDDLE AGES HAD BY THIS TIME COME TO THE FULLEST GROWTH AND THAT THEY COULD EXPRESS IN A FORM WHICH WAS ALL THEIR OWN THE IDEAS AND LIFE OF THE TIME
nation against wrong, and thereby expressing the hope that was in it; a protest of the poor against the rich, especially in those songs of the Foresters, which have been called the mediæval epic of revolt; no more gloomy than the gentleman’s poetry, yet cheerful from courage, and not content. Half a dozen stanzas of it are worth a cartload of the whining introspective lyrics of to-day; and he who, when he has mastered the slight differences of language from our own daily speech, is not moved by it, does not understand what true poetry means nor what its aim is. There is a third element in the literature of this time which you may call Lollard poetry, the great example of which is William Langland’s “Piers Plowman.” It is no bad corrective to Chaucer, and in _form_ at least belongs wholly to the popular side; but it seems to me to show symptoms of the spirit of the rising middle class, and casts before it the shadow of the new master that was coming forward for the workman’s oppression.  INSTINCT WITH INDIGNATION AGAINST WRONG AND THEREBY EXPRESSING THE HOPE THAT WAS IN IT A PROTEST OF THE POOR AGAINST THE RICH ESPECIALLY IN THOSE SONGS OF THE FORESTERS WHICH HAVE BEEN CALLED THE MEDIAEVAL EPIC OF REVOLT NO MORE GLOOMY THAN THE GENTLEMAN'S POETRY YET CHEERFUL FROM COURAGE AND NOT CONTENT HALF A DOZEN STANZAS OF IT ARE WORTH A CART LOAD OF THE WHINING AND PROSPECTIVE LYRICS OF TO DAY AND HE WHO WHEN HE HAS MASTERED THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES OF LANGUAGE FROM OUR OWN DAILY SPEECH IS NOT MOVED BY IT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT TRUE POETRY MEANS NOR WHAT ITS AIM IS THERE IS A THIRD ELEMENT IN THE LITERATURE OF THIS TIME WHICH YOU MAY CALL LOLLARD POETRY THE GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHICH IS WILLAM LANGLAND'S PEERS PLOWMAN IT IS NO BAD CORRECTIVE TO CHAUCER AND INFORMER AT LEAST BELONGS WHOLLY TO THE POPULAR SIDE BUT IT SEEMS TO ME TO SHOW SYMPTOMS OF THE SPIRIT OF THE RISING MIDDLE CLASS AND CAST BEFORE IT THE SHADOW OF THE NEW MASTER THAT WAS COMING FORWARD FOR THE WORKMAN'S OPPRESSION
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