1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910552766003321

Autore

Moreau J. M (John M.), <1983->

Titolo

Eschatological Subjects : Divine and Literary Judgment in Fourteenth-Century French Poetry / / J.M. Moreau

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Columbus : , : Ohio State University Press, , 2014

©2014

ISBN

0-8142-7370-X

Edizione

[First edition.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource

Collana

Interventions : new studies in medieval culture

Classificazione

LIT011000LIT004150

Disciplina

841/.109

Soggetti

LITERARY CRITICISM / European / French

LITERARY CRITICISM / Medieval

French poetry - Appreciation - History - 14th century

Judgment Day in literature

Eschatology in literature

French poetry - To 1500 - History and criticism

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Sommario/riassunto

"John Moreau explores how late medieval French poets used the idea of the last judgment to frame their own literary production and its reception among readers. Focusing on works by Deguileville, Machaut, and Froissart, Moreau argues that their use of the divine judgment theme to discuss authorial concerns betrays their anxiety about both their responsibility for what they write and for how their work will be received and consequently judged. The result of this study is a much more dynamic view of the medieval conception of the author role"--

"Eschatological Subjects: Divine and Literary Judgment in Fourteenth-Century French Poetry takes an innovative approach to medieval eschatology by examining how poets cast themselves in the scene of judgment as defendants summoned to answer to the Almighty for the sins of their writing. Since medieval Europeans lived in perpetual anxiety of divine judgment, constantly surrounded by reminders in art



and literature, author J. M. Moreau shows that this is a natural extension of medieval life.  But Eschatological Subjects goes even further to demonstrate the largely unrecognized duality of this judge figure: not just God, the judge is also the imperious and imperfect human reader. The simultaneous divine and human judgments in (and of) French poetry reveal much about the ethical stakes of writing vernacular poetry in the later Middle Ages and, most importantly, about the relationships between authors and audiences.  Focusing on Guillaume de Deguileville, Guillaume de Machaut, and Jean Froissart (each of whom composed scenes in which they appear on trial before God), Moreau contributes important new insights on the complex "trial process" of later medieval literature, in which poetic authority and fame depended on the poet's ability to defend himself before a fearful court of reader opinion."--