Question

Explain some of the various medieval literary forms. Why were writers employing these literary forms? Your answer should be at least 100 words.

Answer 1

There are various medieval literary genres which are representative of the age. One of the most popular is without a doubt the romance, which oftentimes narrates the adventures of the noble knights of the Round Table. Chivalric love is the main theme of a romance and the hero of this genre is full of virtues. Additionally, supernatural forces tend to be present. Writers made use of the convention due to the popularity of the type and now we know how love and nobility were idealized then. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a nice example of a romance. The fabliau is another significant literary form. In opposition to the romance, the characters of the fabliau do not come from King Arthur's court, they are ordinary individuals living their own adventures, and can be considered obscene. The tone of these vernacular texts is comical, but wittily told. The fabliau takes its origins in France, however, Chaucer also uses the convention in some of his "Canterbury Tales", the "Miller's Tale" for instance. The literary form also gained popularity because of the common elements in the tales. Hearing about common people and not the court was fresh back then.

Answer 2

An illustration can be alliteration or the Slavic antithesis or like. Very frequently these pieces of writing were poems such as epic poems that would be hummed to the people who were most often not conversant. Writers and poets would have to sing the entire epics to spectators which is why these devices are used. They make it easier to recall because they act as formulas that the poet can follow like a pattern and by repeating them all the time and changing some events and names he could recall more or if he fail to recall they would give him time to create something up and make up for the losses.