Alliterative Poems of Middle English Period: Pearl, Purity, Patience

and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

After the Norman Conquest the French Influence rendered great impact on
literature and rhymed verse gained ascendancy. It is after the victories of King
Edward III in France a national self consciousness as well as a new enthusiasm
for the English tongue ecomes prominent. In schools and colleges and law
courts English started to displace the French. In !"#$ parliament was opened in
English language. As the result of all these old English verse form revives again in
the %iddle English period. &oughly etween the year !"'( and !)(( there
appears a numer of poem which ring an unro*en development of old English
all iterative verse. In colossians manuscript we get four remar*ale poems
written in west midland dialect. +hey are ,-earl./ ,-urity./ ,-atience. and ,0ir
1awain and the 1reen Knight.. It is supposed that these poems are written y the
same poet.
Pearl:-It is a poem of !$(( lines. +he total poem is divided into !!( stan2as of !$
lines each. It is a *ind of dream poem. +he poet has lost his two years old
daughter. 3ne august day the poet falls asleep on the grave and in dream he
meets with his dead daughter dressed in white with ornaments of pearl. +he poet
wants to cross the river in order to unite with her ut she says that after the fall of
Adam the river only can e crossed after death. 4is daughter consoles him and
as*s her to surrender the 1od. 4is dream rea*s and the poet rises having new
spiritual reali2ation. +he poem is ta*es oth as an allegory and as an elegy. In
symoli2e the Christian faith and Eucharist as well as a typical elegy the poem
treats the personal loss of the poet and his lamentation. A. C. &ic*ett 5In its
e6ternal love lines and ever more in its deeper spiritual eauty and themes
sufficient reason for most patient and devoted study of 5+he vita Nova of our
layuage7.
Patience :-It is a poem of '"! lines. 8asically it is a poetical paraphrase of the
oo* of 9onah/ and the gourd in the 8ile e6alting of patience.
Purity :-It is a collection of 8ile stories in which the poet shows the
impossiility to approach 1od without purity. It shows how greatly 1od is
displeased at every *ind of impurity and how sudden and severe is the
punishment meted out for offence against the divine :aws.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:-It comes from ,colossians manuscript.;
poems written in west midland dialect. It supposed that these poems are written
y the same poet. It is a poem of $'"( lines. +he poem asically elongs to
Arthurian romance. +he stories of the poem open with the appearance if a
green *night riding a green horse to King Arthur.s court at Camelot. 4e
challenges the *night to stri*e of his head with the low of his great are on
condition to receive the similar low after a year from him after finding him out.
<hen hesitation is going on 0ir 1awain accepts the challenge and stri*es of his
head of the 1reen Knight leaves the court pic*ing up his severed head. After a
year according to the promise 1awain sets out in search of the 1reen Knight and
a after a long wandering through wilderness he reaches a castle and he learns that
his good is near hand. Each morning the lord of the castle goes off to hunt white
the eautiful wife of the lord tries to tempt him ut 1awain remains pure
resisting all temptation. Finally he receives from her a green girdle. +he lord of
the castle proves to e the 1reen Knight and the low from him only slightly cuts
him s*in. In shame 1awain throws the 1reen girdle ut green *night presents it
as a free gift and 1awain returns to Arthur.s court and tell the Knights the whole
story. +he poem to remar*ale for several reasons
=I> +he &omance show.s close acquaintance with the courtly life the epic and
comined with a lyrical clement.
=II> It is remar*ale also for the deep and tender love of nature displayed thought
out the poem and some of its most delightful passages descrie the charms of
wild scenery
=III> It display.s an intimate *nowledge of medieval craftsmanship and art.
=I?> It shows literary power in its treatment of the story of the story of
the story avoiding monotony and repetition with great s*ill.