George Kane – författare

Originally published in 1951 Middle English Literature applies methods of literary evaluation to certain Middle English works. Arguing that previous literary criticism has largely focused on the commentary of their historical, social, philological and religious content, the book suggests that it has led to a thinking that Middle English literature is without artistic value and therefore cannot be compared effectively with later works of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. While traditional analysis has been beneficial to scientific and historical findings, this text seeks to look deeper into the artistic merits of the works and the authors that wrote them, arguing that the authors of these Middle English texts, wrote with the same motivations and experiences of these later authors which in turn informed the artistic basis of these Middle English works. The book looks at Middle English texts through three main areas: the Metrical Romances, the Religious Lyrics and Piers Plowman.

Originally published in 1951 Middle English Literature applies methods of literary evaluation to certain Middle English works. Arguing that previous literary criticism has largely focused on the commentary of their historical, social, philological and religious content, the book suggests that it has led to a thinking that Middle English literature is without artistic value and therefore cannot be compared effectively with later works of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. While traditional analysis has been beneficial to scientific and historical findings, this text seeks to look deeper into the artistic merits of the works and the authors that wrote them, arguing that the authors of these Middle English texts, wrote with the same motivations and experiences of these later authors which in turn informed the artistic basis of these Middle English works. The book looks at Middle English texts through three main areas: the Metrical Romances, the Religious Lyrics and Piers Plowman.

Delve into the rich interplay of history, language, and literary artistry with this compelling collection of essays by George Kane. Focusing on two of the Middle Ages' greatest poets, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, Kane offers a nuanced exploration of their works, examining their historical contexts and textual intricacies. Each essay reflects decades of scholarly dedication, bringing forward the contrasts and connections between Chaucer's sophisticated humor and Langland's earnest spiritual vision. With a focus on intellectual rigor and historical accuracy, this collection sheds light on the enduring significance of these poets in the canon of English literature.Kane's insightful prose is steeped in the tradition of careful criticism, making Chaucer and Langland both a tribute to the authors and an inspiring guide for readers and scholars alike. Rejecting fleeting critical trends, Kane upholds the timeless values of intellectual honesty and fine sensibility, ensuring that his analyses resonate beyond the classroom. This work is essential for those passionate about medieval studies, offering an elite perspective on the texts that shaped English literary heritage.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.

Delve into the rich interplay of history, language, and literary artistry with this compelling collection of essays by George Kane. Focusing on two of the Middle Ages' greatest poets, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, Kane offers a nuanced exploration of their works, examining their historical contexts and textual intricacies. Each essay reflects decades of scholarly dedication, bringing forward the contrasts and connections between Chaucer's sophisticated humor and Langland's earnest spiritual vision. With a focus on intellectual rigor and historical accuracy, this collection sheds light on the enduring significance of these poets in the canon of English literature.Kane's insightful prose is steeped in the tradition of careful criticism, making Chaucer and Langland both a tribute to the authors and an inspiring guide for readers and scholars alike. Rejecting fleeting critical trends, Kane upholds the timeless values of intellectual honesty and fine sensibility, ensuring that his analyses resonate beyond the classroom. This work is essential for those passionate about medieval studies, offering an elite perspective on the texts that shaped English literary heritage.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.

This Glossary is designed as a companion to William Langland's dream vision poem, Piers Plowman, widely regarded as the greatest literary work in Middle English before Chaucer. It glosses and explains over 5000 English words, and foreign words used as if English, in the A, B and C texts of Piers Plowman printed in the critically-acclaimed Athlone editions. Where possible, it illustrates words with examples from all three versions. The first glossary to Piers Plowman was compiled in 1886 by Sir William Skeat but there has been no attempt, until now, to provide a new glossary that takes account of the considerable advances in Middle English scholarship over the last century. This new Glossary gives particular attention to the distinctive problems inherent in its subject, how the texts were preserved, written and received in their time. It takes account of the dialectical and morphological variations between the three texts; the grammar of Langland's style; the richly figurative texture of the rhetorical language used in the poem; and the remoteness of many elements in its content from modern culture and its values.

Professor Kane is widely regarded as the leading middle English textual and literary scholar of our time and this collection of his essays will be widely welcomed. They focus largely upon the texts of Chaucer and Langland and demonstrate in an exemplary way how critical issues can arise from meticulous textual study.