Changes of French Literature During the Middle Ages

As the Middle Ages progressed the French people emerged, united by a sense of togetherness and the development of a common culture. This nascent society would create a national personality whose thoughts were expressed innovatively through its writing. French literature began to be defined by a combination of intellectual, rational, effective, clear, and structured writing with emotional, erratic, creative, and liberated writing. Although these characteristics appeared in all forms of writing, they were especially present in poetry. This new way of writing and perspective of poetry led to influences in society at the time, as well as in the writings of future eras. And since the Middle Ages was a time in which there was much political and economic change and success, writing was impacted enough by the world that it also underwent transformations and was defined by a blossoming.

France was not the only place in the world whose literature was developing and changing in influential and creative forms. However, French literature underwent the most changes and eventually influenced other places. France started developments that spread to places like England and Italy. It is to be noted, however, that many other places had great artists. For example, there were Dante and Petrarca from Italy. This also did not occur only in Europe, as literature also thrived in the Arab and Oriental worlds. Nevertheless, the importance of France is that that is where the changes began, and that is where the most abundant changes are found. In the Middle Ages poets in France undertook a new style, with new thematic elements influenced by feudalism, courtly love, and the troubadours who pushed the movement further. The new flourishing poetry would impact ...

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...ly love led to new societal ideas on chivalry and proper knighthood. People raised their expectations to unrealistic ideals that could not be achieved. However, that’s where more creativity was born. The troubadours used these imaginary matters to create such fantasies to entertain society.

In conclusion, as creativity expanded in France throughout this medieval era, more creativity resulted from it. The poetry of the time had not only an impact on the society of the time, but on future works of literature past this flourishing age. Although of course there are many influential poems in other places during this same time period, and that is not something to be ignored. However Medieval France is an important time and place setting to explore in terms of poetry because it began this development of a great number of new forms and structures that would be long-lasting.