Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym

2355 Words5 Pages

Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym

Essay is 1550 words in length

Dafydd ap Gwilym has been acclaimed as the greatest poet of the Welsh language. As Rachel Bromwhich commented, Dafydd’s life "coincided miraculously in both time and place with an unprecedented opportunity to mate the new with the old" (Brom 112). Perhaps "mate" is a more appropriate choice of words here than Rachel intended. As his poetry depicts, Dafydd tried to mate a great many things in his time; the man is immortalized as a ball of raging hormones. A self-proclaimed "Ovid’s man," Dafydd took pleasure in identifying himself with the authoritative source of courtly love, a fresh trend in Wales during his life (Summer 29). Love, specifically courtly love, was among the new themes Dafydd merged with the traditional themes like nature. Even the ancient topic of nature, under Dafydd’s molding, took on new forms. Dafydd personified elements of nature to be his trusted messengers in poems such as "The Seagull." In the "Holly Grove," nature is subtly described as a fortress or protector of sorts. Variations of these elements of secret, protected, and secluded love mesh with images of nature throughout Dafydd’s poetry. However, nature seems to be much more than a confidant or mere factor in his search for love; Dafydd’s poems such as "Secret Love" suggest that nature is essential in this endeavor. Though Dafydd’s attempts at love are not limited to the natural realm, poems such as "Trouble in a Tavern" make it evident that only in the natural setting is Dafydd a successful lover.

Elements in the poetry of courtly love express the need for a love affair to remain secret. The object of a poet’s love in these poems is typically a married woman, or unattainable by some other means. Andreas Capellanus’s The Rules of Courtly Love captures this element of forbidden love by saying, "marriage (was) no real excuse for not loving" (Cap 115-116). As Patrick Ford wisely pointed out, the need to maintain secrecy in a forbidden affair is not a new idea to modern readers. These elements of courtly love do not escape Dafydd’s poetry. His poem "Secret Love," among others, emphasizes the level of secrecy necessary in maintaining a love affair. Dafydd considers himself a learned lover, who found that "The best form of the words that work / Is to speak love in secrecy" (Sec 1-2).

Show More
Related

  • Keeping our food supply safe and secure

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    On January 4, 2011 President Obama signed into law The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This law has shed new light on the safety and security of our food supply. The last update to the food safety laws in the United States was in 1938. The food safety modernization act pays special attention at trying to modernize the food safety policies in the United States in hopes to prevent problems and concerns before they happen. As we all know, most of our food comes from overseas or sometimes from your neighboring state. The food products travel by car, truck, airplane, boat, or even train. We are all very happy to be receiving our bananas from Costa Rica and all of our other fresh fruits and vegetables that are imported into the United States, but we never stop to think about what pathogens are contaminating our produce and other foods on the way over and if they are safe for us to eat. In an article by Neal Fortin, he states that the law also gives the FDA new standards to hold imported foods to the domestic food standards and it also encourages the FDA to establish and develo...

    Read More

  • Love Affairs in Le Morte d’Arthur and The Wife of Bath’s Tale

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    In a relationship, Love is a feeling that humans share with a special person. Some bonds could be mutual, while others are dissociated. During the Medieval period, love affairs were dominated by one gender, men, and the women had little or no control over decisions. Before a gentleman married a lady, the gentleman first boasted about her beauty, championed the cause of the lady, and did whatever the lady requested. The era was influenced by knights, and dictated by honor and chivalry that each knight had to display to their king and queen. As a gentleman, a knight had to be just at all times, especially toward ladies. At this time, there was a king named Arthur. King Arthur had a flourishing kingdom that abruptly ended. Later on, many authors recounted the story of the reign of King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory published Le Morte d’Arthur, and Geoffrey Chaucer published The Wife of Bath’s Tale. Although both of these books recount the reign of King Arthur, the stories are very diverse and unique in their own way. Both stories demonstrate for a relationship to be successful, both partners must be submissive, must be brave, and must be willing to learn from mistakes.

    Read More

  • Courtly Love

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Middle Ages, Courtly love was a code which prescribed the conduct between a lady and her lover (Britannica). The relationship of courtly love was very much like the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege. The lover serves his beloved, in the manner a servant would. He owes his devotion and allegiance to her, and she inspires him to perform noble acts of valor (Schwartz). Capellanus writes, in The Art of Courtly Love, “A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved”. The stories of Marie de France and Chrétien de Troyes illustrate the conventions of courtly love.

    Read More

  • The Wife of Bath: Illustrating Courtly Love

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is written in an entertaining and adventurous spirit, but serves a higher purpose by illustrating the century’s view of courtly love. Hundreds, if not thousands, of other pieces of literature written in the same century prevail to commemorate the coupling of breathtaking princesses with lionhearted knights after going through unimaginable adventures, but only a slight few examine the viability of such courtly love and the related dilemmas that always succeed. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that women desire most their husband’s love, Overall, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that the meaning of true love does not stay consistent, whether between singular or separate communities and remains timeless as the depictions of love from this 14th century tale still hold true today.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Produce

    3112 Words  | 7 Pages

    The remarkable advances in agriculture, medicine, and technology have led to the unprecedented growth in global population over the past 100 years. None of these advances occurred in a vacuum, but evolved within the broad public policy framework in which governments set policies in the area of health, education, and general welfare of its population, imposing strict safety standards (regulations) consistent with best practices. Since food is a primary necessity of life, worldwide governments have a substantial influence on the supply of foods offered for human consumption.

    Read More

  • The Sun Also Rises

    1879 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... the one wounded when he is definitely over. This is shown in the taxi ride in Madrid when she tries one more time to make him fall under her power by reminding him of her potential relationship, his only answer is ironic and detached “Yes, [I said] Isn't it pretty to think so?”. Showing his disinterest for her which marks the final overcome of his loss.

    Read More

  • What Are Food Hazards?

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    We know that food hazards have the potential to cause serious damage to the body. Many sicknesses transmitted by foods can lead to adverse health effects, such as chronic conditions, injuries, and debilities. By looking at how many cases of foodborne illness are reported, we’re able to identify the prevalence of food hazards in that location at a certain point in time. In 2006 alone, the CDC reported over 27.5 thousand documented outbreaks of foodborne disease in the United States (Friis, 2012). That being said, it’s clear that as a nation we still struggle to ensure that our food is safe for consumption by the consumer. Even with all of the modern technology, guidelines, and regulations in place, food hazards are still able to reach the general population. However, it’s important to consider that the fault is not always due to errors in quality control during production and manufacturing. Once in the hands of the consumer, there’s a lot of room for error. This is the single biggest contributor to the number of reported cases of foodborne illness. In the United States, one of the world’s most developed nations, the prevalence of foodborne illness and disease remains high because the majority of the population is not educated well enough on the subject and often

    Read More

  • Objectification Theory

    1733 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women are bombarded by images of a thin-ideal body form that is extremely hard, if not impossible, to emulate. Comparing themselves to these women can lead to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and an overall low self-esteem. (Expand on, need a good opening paragraph to grab the reader’s attention)

    Read More

  • Comparing Women in A Man's Requirements and A Letter to Her Husband

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Authors use poetry to creatively present attitudes and opinions. “A Man’s Requirements,” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and “A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment” are two poems with distinct attitudes about love that contain different literary approaches. In both of the poems, love is addressed from a different perspective, producing the difference in expectation and presentation, but both suggest the women are subservient in the relationships.

    Read More

  • Risk Management in Construction Projects

    2365 Words  | 5 Pages

    Risk management is a process used in all industries to reduce the risk. The Risk management tool usage changes from sector to sector and hence each sector has developed their own risk management tools and methodologies to mitigate the risk. But the concept remains the same behind all the tools (Ropel, 2011). The main steps for risk management irrespective of the sector are:

    Read More

  • Food Safety In China Essay

    2845 Words  | 6 Pages

    Food safety is a quite hot topic and important public health issue all over the world. Food-borne disease can cause serious harm. Millions of people suffered from diseases and even died because of having unsafe food.

    Read More

  • The Five Steps Of Risk Management In Coca-Cola

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    e risk management process typically includes five steps. These steps are 1) identifying all significant risks, 2) evaluating the potential frequency and severity of losses, 3)developing and selecting methods chosen, 5) monitoring the performance and suitability of the risk management methods and strategies on an ongoing basis.

    Read More

  • Bahrain Food Control Systems Review

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    The third weakness is the fact that food tests, inspections, and the detection of contaminants are taken seriously only after an outbreak of some food-borne diseases, food poisoning, or deaths. The increase in the number of food establishments or outlets such as cold stores, hypermarkets, and supermarkets reported by the Public Health Director has also made inspection and control mo...

    Read More

  • Food Safety In China Essay

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Government and food safety center are all working hard to develop the quality of the food, and we all hope our food problems would be solved as soon as possible. This is one of the most significant stuff to consider about in today 's society and also an effective way to improve gross national happiness. We have to pay more thoughtfulness to these foods we eat which are not healthful and always prevent buying them, when we found the restaurant is not clean enough, call the food safety department and never go again. We have to work together to make a better living environment. And one day in the future, we live happily every single day, eat all the food we love, stay with people we love, enjoy every day and enjoy our

    Read More

  • Nature in American Poetry

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    We human beings can not separate from nature. No nature, no human beings. As far as poetry is concerned, nature plays a great important role on it, for uncountable poets have been writing lots and lots of great poems on it along the history of human beings. America is not an exceptional. My paper is right to deal with nature in American poetry.

    Read More

More about Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym

Open Document