The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism: Volume 2, The Middle Ages

In addition to the main traditions in Medieval Latin and Byzantine Greek, this comprehensive introduction to the literary theory and criticism produced during the Middle Ages covers all major European vernaculars, ranging from Irish to Old Norse, from Occitan to Middle High German and Italian. Special attention is given to the contribution of Dante Alighieri and his commentators, along with the debates on the relative merits of Latin and the Italian vernacular, and the literary attitudes of the early humanists. Cover ......Page 1 The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism, Volume 2: The Middle Ages......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 17 Alastair Minnis & Ian Johnson: Introduction......Page 18 Part I: The liberal arts and the arts of Latin textuality......Page 30 1. Martin Irvine with David Thomson: Grammatica and literary theory......Page 32 1. The history and development of grammatica......Page 34 John of Salisbury’s model for grammatical studies......Page 39 From ars grammatica to sermocinalis scientia......Page 41 2. Linguistic theory: speech and writing......Page 47 3. Theories of metaphor and allegory......Page 50 4. Curriculum and reading......Page 54 2. J. J. Murphy: The arts of poetry and prose......Page 59 The Ars versificatoria of Matthew of Vendôme......Page 61 Geoffrey of Vinsauf......Page 65 Gervase of Melkley......Page 68 John of Garland......Page 69 Eberhard the German......Page 75 2. Literary implications of the arts of poetry......Page 77 3. Creativity through form: the modes of amplification......Page 80 3. Ronald G. Witt: The arts of letter-writing......Page 85 1. The early Italian development of ars dictaminis textbooks......Page 86 2. The twelfth-century Italian letter......Page 87 3. Early dictamen in France and the Italian golden age, 1190–1250......Page 90 4. Ars dictaminis outside Italy after 1200......Page 95 5. The letter as literary form......Page 97 6. Ars dictaminis and humanism in Italy......Page 99 4. Siegfried Wenzel: The arts of preaching......Page 101 Part II: The study of classical authors......Page 114 5. Winthrop Wetherbee: From late Antiquity to the twelfth century......Page 116 6. Vincent Gillespie: From the twelfth century to c. 1450......Page 162 1. Learning to read wisely: the grammar-school curriculum......Page 167 2. Reading minds: medieval poetic theory......Page 177 3. Reading for the sense: Florilegia, friars and the rise of the compiler......Page 195 4. Reading under the covers: Ovid......Page 203 5. Reading between the lines: the blurring of the genres......Page 223 Tragedy and epic......Page 224 Satire and comedy......Page 240 Part III: Textual psychologies: imagination, memory, pleasure......Page 254 7. Alastair Minnis: Medieval imagination and memory......Page 256 8. Glending Olson: The profits of pleasure......Page 292 Part IV: Vernacular critical traditions: the early Middle Ages......Page 306 1. Poetic theory......Page 308 2. The evidence of narrative prose......Page 319 10. Ananya Jahanara Kabir: Anglo-Saxon textual attitudes......Page 327 11. John L. Flood: Literary theory and practice in early-medieval Germany......Page 341 Alliterative verse......Page 342 Charlemagne......Page 344 Otfrid of Weißenburg and rhyming verse......Page 345 Notker Teutonicus......Page 348 1. Early poetry......Page 350 2. The poets of the princes c. 1100–1282......Page 357 3. Prose tales and translations......Page 360 13. Margaret Clunies Ross: Criticism and literary theory in Old Norse-Icelandic......Page 362 Part V: Vernacular critical traditions: the late Middle Ages......Page 378 14. Ralph Hanna, Tony Hunt, R. G. Keightley, Alastair Minnis & Nigel F. Palmer: Latin commentary tradition and vernacular literature......Page 380 1. Translating text and gloss......Page 381 2. Elaborating the gloss......Page 386 3. Translations of commentaries, and new vernacular commentaries......Page 400 4. Commentary and controversy over translation......Page 409 5. Commentary and vernacular creativity......Page 417 6. Commentary and vernacular authority......Page 431 15. Kevin Brownlee, Tony Hunt, Ian Johnson, Nigel F. Palmer & James Simpson: Vernacular literary consciousness c. 1100–c. 1500: French, German and English evidence......Page 439 1. Sources......Page 441 Patronage......Page 448 Addressing the audience......Page 450 The effect of literature......Page 452 Audience and meaning......Page 459 3. Rhetoric: composition, style and versification......Page 464 Words and music......Page 468 Arts of the ‘Second Rhetoric’......Page 472 The distortions of rhyme......Page 478 4. Minstrels, makers and poets......Page 480 16. Simon Gaunt & John Marshall: Occitan grammars and the art of troubadour poetry......Page 489 1. The trobar of the troubadours......Page 490 2. Grammarians and biographers......Page 499 17. Julian Weiss: Literary theory and polemic in Castile, c. 1200–c. 1500......Page 513 18. Nigel F. Palmer: Literary criticism in Middle High German literature......Page 550 1. The bardic grammar......Page 566 2. Bardic contentions......Page 571 Part VI: Latin and vernacular in Italian literary theory......Page 576 20. Zygmunt G. Barański: Dante Alighieri: experimentation and (self-)exegesis......Page 578 21. Zygmunt G. Barański: The Epistle to Can Grande......Page 600 Postscript......Page 606 22. Steven Botterill: The Trecento commentaries on Dante’s Commedia......Page 607 23. Martin McLaughlin: Latin and vernacular from Dante to the age of Lorenzo (1321–c. 1500)......Page 629 24. David Robey: Humanist views on the study of poetry in the early Italian Renaissance......Page 643 25. Martin McLaughlin: Humanist criticism of Latin and vernacular prose......Page 665 Part VII: Byzantine literary theory and criticism......Page 684 26. Thomas M. Conley: Byzantine criticism and the uses of literature......Page 686 1. Grounds and aims of criticism......Page 687 2. The first Byzantine ‘humanist’: Photios......Page 689 3. Arethas to Doxapatres......Page 692 4. Critic as careerist: Michael Psellos......Page 695 5. The Comnenian era (1081–1204)......Page 697 6. Recovery and decline......Page 703 Conclusion......Page 708 Introduction......Page 710 Primary sources......Page 714 Secondary sources......Page 723 Primary sources......Page 739 Secondary sources......Page 745 Primary sources......Page 764 Secondary sources......Page 767 Primary sources......Page 771 Secondary sources......Page 772 Secondary sources......Page 775 Literary theory and practice in early-medieval Germany......Page 777 Literary criticism in Welsh before c. 1300......Page 780 Criticism and literary theory in Old Norse-Icelandic......Page 783 Latin commentary tradition and vernacular literature......Page 786 Vernacular literary consciousness c. 1100–c. 1500: French, German and English evidence......Page 795 Occitan grammars and the art of troubadour poetry......Page 802 Literary theory and polemic in Castile, c. 1200–c. 1500......Page 806 Literary criticism in Middle High German literature......Page 811 Later literary criticism in Wales......Page 814 Latin and vernacular in Italian literary theory......Page 815 Byzantine literary theory and criticism......Page 828 Index......Page 833 Cover 1 The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism, Volume 2: The Middle Ages 4 Contents 6 Contributors 9 Abbreviations 15 Acknowledgements 17 Alastair Minnis & Ian Johnson: Introduction 18 Part I: The liberal arts and the arts of Latin textuality 30 1. Martin Irvine with David Thomson: Grammatica and literary theory 32 1. The history and development of grammatica 34 John of Salisbury’s model for grammatical studies 39 From ars grammatica to sermocinalis scientia 41 2. Linguistic theory: speech and writing 47 3. Theories of metaphor and allegory 50 4. Curriculum and reading 54 2. J. J. Murphy: The arts of poetry and prose 59 1. The six ‘arts’ 61 The Ars versificatoria of Matthew of Vendôme 61 Geoffrey of Vinsauf 65 Gervase of Melkley 68 John of Garland 69 Eberhard the German 75 2. Literary implications of the arts of poetry 77 3. Creativity through form: the modes of amplification 80 3. Ronald G. Witt: The arts of letter-writing 85 1. The early Italian development of ars dictaminis textbooks 86 2. The twelfth-century Italian letter 87 3. Early dictamen in France and the Italian golden age, 1190–1250 90 4. Ars dictaminis outside Italy after 1200 95 5. The letter as literary form 97 6. Ars dictaminis and humanism in Italy 99 4. Siegfried Wenzel: The arts of preaching 101 Part II: The study of classical authors 114 5. Winthrop Wetherbee: From late Antiquity to the twelfth century 116 6. Vincent Gillespie: From the twelfth century to c. 1450 162 1. Learning to read wisely: the grammar-school curriculum 167 2. Reading minds: medieval poetic theory 177 3. Reading for the sense: Florilegia, friars and the rise of the compiler 195 4. Reading under the covers: Ovid 203 5. Reading between the lines: the blurring of the genres 223 Tragedy and epic 224 Satire and comedy 240 Part III: Textual psychologies: imagination, memory, pleasure 254 7. Alastair Minnis: Medieval imagination and memory 256 8. Glending Olson: The profits of pleasure 292 Part IV: Vernacular critical traditions: the early Middle Ages 306 9. Patrick Sims-Williams & Erich Poppe: Medieval Irish literary theory and criticism 308 1. Poetic theory 308 2. The evidence of narrative prose 319 10. Ananya Jahanara Kabir: Anglo-Saxon textual attitudes 327 11. John L. Flood: Literary theory and practice in early-medieval Germany 341 1. Native literary traditions 342 Literary terms in the vernacular 342 Alliterative verse 342 2. The Latin Christian tradition 344 Charlemagne 344 Otfrid of Weißenburg and rhyming verse 345 Notker Teutonicus 348 12. Marged Haycock: Literary criticism in Welsh before c. 1300 350 1. Early poetry 350 2. The poets of the princes c. 1100–1282 357 3. Prose tales and translations 360 13. Margaret Clunies Ross: Criticism and literary theory in Old Norse-Icelandic 362 Part V: Vernacular critical traditions: the late Middle Ages 378 14. Ralph Hanna, Tony Hunt, R. G. Keightley, Alastair Minnis & Nigel F. Palmer: Latin commentary tradition and vernacular literature 380 1. Translating text and gloss 381 2. Elaborating the gloss 386 3. Translations of commentaries, and new vernacular commentaries 400 4. Commentary and controversy over translation 409 5. Commentary and vernacular creativity 417 6. Commentary and vernacular authority 431 15. Kevin Brownlee, Tony Hunt, Ian Johnson, Nigel F. Palmer & James Simpson: Vernacular literary consciousness c. 1100–c. 1500: French, German and English evidence 439 1. Sources 441 2. Audience 448 Patronage 448 Addressing the audience 450 The effect of literature 452 Audience and meaning 459 3. Rhetoric: composition, style and versification 464 Words and music 468 Arts of the ‘Second Rhetoric’ 472 The distortions of rhyme 478 4. Minstrels, makers and poets 480 16. Simon Gaunt & John Marshall: Occitan grammars and the art of troubadour poetry 489 1. The trobar of the troubadours 490 2. Grammarians and biographers 499 17. Julian Weiss: Literary theory and polemic in Castile, c. 1200–c. 1500 513 18. Nigel F. Palmer: Literary criticism in Middle High German literature 550 19. Gruffydd Aled Williams: Later literary criticism in Wales 566 1. The bardic grammar 566 2. Bardic contentions 571 Part VI: Latin and vernacular in Italian literary theory 576 20. Zygmunt G. Barański: Dante Alighieri: experimentation and (self-)exegesis 578 21. Zygmunt G. Barański: The Epistle to Can Grande 600 Postscript 606 22. Steven Botterill: The Trecento commentaries on Dante’s Commedia 607 23. Martin McLaughlin: Latin and vernacular from Dante to the age of Lorenzo (1321–c. 1500) 629 24. David Robey: Humanist views on the study of poetry in the early Italian Renaissance 643 25. Martin McLaughlin: Humanist criticism of Latin and vernacular prose 665 Part VII: Byzantine literary theory and criticism 684 26. Thomas M. Conley: Byzantine criticism and the uses of literature 686 1. Grounds and aims of criticism 687 2. The first Byzantine ‘humanist’: Photios 689 3. Arethas to Doxapatres 692 4. Critic as careerist: Michael Psellos 695 5. The Comnenian era (1081–1204) 697 6. Recovery and decline 703 Conclusion 708 Bibliography 710 Introduction 710 The liberal arts and the arts of Latin textuality 714 Primary sources 714 Secondary sources 723 The study of classical authors 739 Primary sources 739 Secondary sources 745 Textual psychologies: imagination, memory, pleasure 764 Primary sources 764 Secondary sources 767 Medieval Irish literary theory and criticism 771 Primary sources 771 Secondary sources 772 Anglo-Saxon textual attitudes 775 Primary sources 775 Secondary sources 775 Literary theory and practice in early-medieval Germany 777 Literary criticism in Welsh before c. 1300 780 Criticism and literary theory in Old Norse-Icelandic 783 Latin commentary tradition and vernacular literature 786 Vernacular literary consciousness c. 1100–c. 1500: French, German and English evidence 795 Occitan grammars and the art of troubadour poetry 802 Literary theory and polemic in Castile, c. 1200–c. 1500 806 Literary criticism in Middle High German literature 811 Later literary criticism in Wales 814 Latin and vernacular in Italian literary theory 815 Byzantine literary theory and criticism 828 Index 833 This unique volume offers for the first time a comprehensive introduction to the literary theory and criticism produced during the Middle Ages. The essays cover all the main traditions in Medieval Latin, Byzantine Greek, and the major European vernaculars, ranging from Irish to Old Norse, from Occitan to Middle High German and Italian, with special attention being paid to the contribution of Dante Alighieri and his commentators, along with the debates on the relative merits of Latin and the Italian vernacular, and the literary attitudes of the early humanists "This latest volume in the celebrated Cambridge History of Literary Criticism addresses literary criticism of the Romantic period, chiefly in Europe. Its seventeen chapters are by internationally respected academics and explore a range of key topics and themes. The book is designed to help readers locate essential information and to develop approaches and viewpoints for a deeper understanding of issues discussed by Romantic critics or that were fundamental to their works. Primary and secondary bibliographies provide a guide for further research." This unique volume offers for the first time a comprehensive introduction to the literary theory and criticism produced during the Middle Ages. The essays cover all the main traditions in Medieval Latin, Byzantine Greek, and the major European vernaculars, as well as the humanist debates on literature and its uses.