The Gawain Poet

E11009

The Gawain Poet is the anonymous 14th-century English poet best known for composing the Middle English alliterative masterpiece "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and several related religious and allegorical works.

Aliases (2)

Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Middle English author
anonymous writer
medieval English poet
activeInCentury 14th century
activeInPeriod late 14th century
alternativeName Pearl Poet
associatedManuscript Cotton Nero A.x
authorshipStatus anonymous
criticalReputation one of the greatest Middle English poets
dialect Northwest Midlands Middle English
floruit c. 1375–1400
genre allegorical poetry
alliterative poetry
chivalric romance
religious poetry
historicalContext Alliterative Revival
influenced later Arthurian literature
modern adaptations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
language Middle English
literaryMovement Middle English alliterative tradition
nationality English
notableWork Cleanness
Patience
Pearl
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
regionAssociatedWith Northwest Midlands of England
religiousAffiliation likely Roman Catholic
religiousContext Christian
settingOfNotableWork Arthurian court (for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
styleCharacteristic alliterative long line
complex stanza forms
rich symbolism
vivid natural imagery
subjectOf Middle English literary scholarship
theme chivalry
courtly love
divine grace
moral testing
mortality
sin and repentance
spiritual vision
uncertainFact real personal name unknown
workCollectionLocation British Library Cotton Nero A.x manuscript
workForm dream vision (for Pearl)
narrative poem
writingSystem Latin alphabet

Referenced by (19)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Alliterative Revival ("Pearl Poet")
Cotton Nero A.x ("Pearl Poet")
Cotton Nero A.x ("Gawain Poet")
Cotton Nero A.x manuscript collection ("Pearl Poet")
Cotton Nero A.x manuscript collection ("Gawain Poet")
Patience ("Gawain Poet")
associatedAuthor
Cleanness ("Pearl Poet")
Patience ("Pearl Poet")
Pearl (poem) ("Pearl Poet")
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ("Gawain Poet")
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ("Pearl Poet")
author
Lady Bertilak ("Pearl Poet")
Lady Bertilak ("Gawain Poet")
createdBy
Bertilak de Hautdesert ("Pearl Poet")
Bertilak de Hautdesert ("Gawain Poet")
workAuthor
The Gawain Poet ("Pearl Poet")
alternativeName
Pearl (poem) ("Gawain Poet")
alternativeNameForAuthor
Middle English
hasNotableAuthor
Ricardian poets
hasNotableMember

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