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Essays exploring the reshaping of traditional narratives through an examination of a variety of specific tales.
Confessio Amantis, the principal work in English by John Gower, friend of Chaucer, by whom he was influenced, has always been read as a conventional poem about the seven deadly sins. Here, paying particular attention to the poem's language and style, Peck gives a brilliant new reinterpretation which not only illuminates the poem's elegant beauty but provides a profound moral purpose as well. Gower's Confessio, according to Peck, is a restatement of late fourteenth-century ideas of good and bad behavior, and is designed to illuminate and reshape the minds and hearts of men. Peck sees the concepts of "kingship"--the governance of souls as well as kingdoms--and "common profit"--the mutual enhancement of such kingdoms--as the poem's unifying ideas. Peck's discussion further shows how the various tales hold together and support the poem's loose plot and the poet's strongly moral intention.
Why did Gower choose to write his most famous poem in English? New insights into his purpose and the context and tradition of the poem are presented here. After establishing his reputation as a literary author by means of his French and Latin verse, Gower came to recognize the possibilities which English held for serious poetry only in the 1380s. This book gives sustained attentionto the implications of this language choice for the form, readership, religious position, and lay authority of his best-known work, the Confessio Amantis.The author argues that in all of his moral-political-theological writings, Gower's stance as a satirist and publicist is more markedly lay, and more rhetorically ...
An introduction to Gower and his work, focusing on his sources, historical context and literary tradition; special attention is paid to Confessio Amantis.
Incorporating several kinds of scholarship on medieval authorship, the essays examine interrelated questions raised by the relationship between an author and a reader, the relationships between authors and their antecedents, and the ways in which authorship interacts with the physical presentation of texts in books.
The Monstrous New Art reveals the depth of medieval composers' engagement with monstrous and hybrid creatures and ideas.
Traces the University of Rochester's development from a small college housed in a former hotel in 1850 to its place as a leading research university in 2005. This volume traces the University of Rochester's development from a small college housed in a former hotel in 1850 to its place as a leading research university in 2005. The story is told in eight chapters, each of which chronicles the major issues and decisions the University's leaders faced. Highlights of the story include the University's founding in a city known as the first "western" boomtown; the university's relationship in the early twentieth century with Rochester benefactor George Eastman, which enabled the establishment of world-class schools of music and medicine; and the achievements of Rochester faculty members as researchers on war-related endeavors during World WarII. Author Janice Pieterse sets her history of the university in the context not only of the fortunes of its home city but of trends and issues in American higher education over the last 150 years. Janice Pieterse is afreelance writer and journalist in Rochester, NY.
Although its brown vans are on every block and its delivery service reaches more than 200 countries, UPS is among the world’s most underestimated and misunderstood companies. For the first time, a UPS “lifer” tells the behind-the-scenes story of how a small messenger service became a business giant. Big Brown reveals the remarkable 100-year history of UPS and the life of its founder Jim Casey—one of the greatest unknown capitalists of the twentieth century. Casey pursued a Spartan business philosophy that emphasized military discipline, drab uniforms, and reliability over flash—a model that is still reflected in UPS culture today. Big Brown examines all the seeming paradoxes about UPS: from its traditional management style and strict policies coupled with high employee loyalty and strong labor relations; from its historical “anti-marketing” bias (why brown?) to its sterling brand loyalty and reputation for quality.
New readings of Chaucer's dream visions, demonstrating his philosophical interests and learning.