The Owl and the Nightingale
E13038
The Owl and the Nightingale is a Middle English narrative poem featuring a lively debate between an owl and a nightingale, often regarded as one of the earliest and most important works of English vernacular literature.
Aliases (1)
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Middle English poem
→
debate poem → narrative poem → vernacular literature work → |
| approximateLength |
about 1800 lines
→
|
| authorshipStatus |
anonymous
→
|
| centralTheme |
conflict between practicality and pleasure
→
debate between an owl and a nightingale → moral and social criticism → |
| countryOfOrigin |
England
→
|
| dateWritten |
early 13th century
→
late 12th century → |
| debateParticipants |
nightingale
→
owl → |
| featuresCharacter |
nightingale
→
owl → |
| genre |
debate poetry
→
narrative poetry → |
| judgeCharacter |
Nicholas of Guildford
→
|
| language |
Middle English
→
|
| literaryCategory |
medieval English literature
→
|
| literaryForm |
poem
→
|
| literaryInfluence |
influenced later Middle English debate poems
→
|
| literaryPeriod |
Middle English literature
→
|
| literarySignificance |
important example of Middle English debate poetry
→
one of the earliest major works of English vernacular literature → |
| literaryTradition |
part of the medieval debate tradition
→
|
| manuscriptTradition |
survives in two main manuscripts
→
|
| meter |
octosyllabic couplets
→
|
| narrativeMode |
first-person frame narrator
→
|
| originalLanguage |
Middle English
→
|
| possibleAuthor |
Nicholas of Guildford
→
|
| resolution |
appeal to a judge to decide the debate
→
|
| rhymeScheme |
couplets
→
|
| setting |
rural England
→
|
| structure |
dialogue-based debate
→
|
| style |
didactic
→
lively and colloquial → satirical → |
| subjectMatter |
comparison of the lives and songs of the owl and the nightingale
→
discussion of moral, religious, and social issues → |
| survivingManuscript |
Cotton Caligula A.ix
→
Jesus College Oxford MS 29 → |
| title |
The Owl and the Nightingale
→
|
| topic |
clerical versus secular values
→
role of song and poetry → social hierarchy and behavior → |
| verseForm |
rhymed couplets
→
|
Referenced by (9)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Cotton Caligula A.ix
→
Jesus College Oxford MS 29 → |
containsWork |
|
Nicholas of Guildford
→
|
associatedWith |
|
Middle English
→
|
hasNotableWork |
|
Jesus College Oxford MS 29
→
|
isPrincipalWitnessTo |
|
Jesus College Oxford MS 29
→
|
isWitnessTo |
|
Nicholas of Guildford
→
|
notableWork |
|
Cotton Caligula A.ix
("The Owl and the Nightingale debate")
→
|
subject |
|
The Owl and the Nightingale
→
|
title |