Commentary on the Poem: The Lais of Marie de France

The Breton lai, Milun is the ninth among twelve lais in the collected works known famously as the Lais of Marie de France. It is a narrative about a courtly love and family bond that become divided by an overpowering marital system. Written in England, the lai of the legendary medieval poet, Marie de France, can be traced back to the 12th century. Virtually nothing is known of the writer. Any information identified, including her name and geographical background, has been discovered through her manuscripts. While her poems focus primarily on the observance of love, distinctiveness of each character, and vibrancy of words, Marie’s lai, Milun, had a sense of realism involved that impacted me personally. The fictional tale corresponds to my life in a meaningful way that made me feel connected to the female character in the story. Marie’s style of writing provoked me to respond through my own life experiences and emotions of loving secretively, mothering a child, and the pain of separation.

“Whoever wants to tell a variety of stories ought to have a variety of beginnings” (1-2) --these opening words written by Marie de France in Milun reveal a thoughtful consideration for a response from the reader. Marie makes an implicit connection between the narrative and her reader. This tells me that there is something to be learned and taken from this romantic tale. My perspective as a young mother allowed me to relate to the unnamed woman in the story. One of the most endearing aspects is the lack of descriptive details of the female character that left room for visualization and imagination. I imagined myself as the beautiful young woman; I recognized her emotions, and in a simplistic yet astonishing way the story spoke to m...

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... again. I would imagine it is the thought of being reunited with her little boy and wondrous knight that kept her moving forward for twenty long years.

Some would argue that my story is incomparable to that of the young woman’s due to the significantly different circumstances and the different time periods. Nonetheless, it is not the story that is being compared; it is the underlying emotion and specific experiences that made such a wonderfully deep connection. Marie’s intention when writing this tale was for her reader to learn something, whether it is about themselves or the story. Though the outcomes seemingly differ as the three characters--Milun, the women, and their son--are reunited and live happily ever after, my story is not over. Through my life experience and emotions of love, motherhood, and separation, I have learned that patience and time heal all.