The Influence Of Black Death In European Literature

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The Black Death was an epidemic scattered in Europe by a black rats plague. The epidemic was transmitted by host rats and infected fleas, causing lymph glands buboes that eventually secreted pus and made a dark decoloration on the skin. (McGraw-Hill connect) In fact, the terrific event took the life of 50% of the population in Europe between 1347 and 1375 (McGraw-Hill connect.)

Furthermore, after the devastation of the town and the loss of at least half of its population, the European culture was highly influenced by the Black Death epidemic through the following years. Indeed, writers, poets, artists, painters, and even the clergy were influenced and inspired to relive and remember the terrifying events that persisted for almost three decades. The psychological effects among the population were irreversible, condemned to remember the dark history of their past, popular figures remarked the terror through written and visual arts. …show more content…

For example, Giovanni Boccaccio a Florentine writer describes through a collection of tales the horrifying event that a group of people experienced during the Black Death, narrating the physical difficulties encountered, and the traumatic memories that prevailed after the event. Through a remarkable sadness and depression, Boccaccio's tales described the struggles and the enormous impact the plague had over families and the general population. Additional writers during this time were François Villon and Jean Froissart. In short, the decades following the Black Death influenced European literature in a way that numerous writings, poems, collections, and other literary works were dedicated to capturing the stories of the survivors so that the following generations could remember what remained from Europe after the hard

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