The Dream Vision

Here are some disjointed paragraphs from my earl draft on the Dream Vision. I only used one source so far, but this one source has a lot of useful information. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. 

The Medieval Dream Vision

By: Caitlin Hart (Research Blog) 

The “dream vision” is a medieval work of literature, which takes advantage of medieval dream psychology's acceptance of the notion that some types of dreams could communicate wisdom to the dreamer.  In most cases the source of the dream vision is brought on by either God or the devil; however, the dream vision can also be the product of the dreamers own conscious attempting to relate something important to the dreamer. According to Stephen Russel in his book The English Dream vision: Anatomy of a Form, the typical stages of a dream vision include “the first person account of a dream; the dream report is usually preceded by a prologue introducing the dreamer as a character and often followed by an epilogue describing the dreamer's reawakening and recording the dream report in verse” (5). In simpler terms, the dreamer falls asleep in the middle of a crisis of some sort (usually emotional). The dreamer then finds himself (the dreamer is almost always male) in a fantastical place, somewhere almost too good to be true. This unearthly place is usually a enclosed garden, or hortus conclusus. The dreamer then encounters a guide figure who leads the dreamer through the dream itself. The dreamer asks the guide several questions about the significance of the vision, however the dreamer is usually displeased with the results the guide provides. Finally, the dreamer is awaken by something in the dream before he can interpret the full meaning of the dream, however the reader is left with enough information to try and interpret the dream.

            In order to be considered a dream vision a poem must contain specific motifs, as well as be the product of a poet who is deliberately attempting to follow the specific traditions of the genre (Russel 2). The dream vision was considered a deliberate form of literature and not just as collection of similar motifs. According to Russel “the introduction to the dreamer, the dreamer's allusive distress, his insomnia and diversions, and his appearance as the cen- tral character in the dream report all suggest that the motifs work together to help determine the structure of the poem” (7).

            The “dream vision” was not always referred to by that name. According to Russel, “no medieval writer ever used the term ‘dream vision’ or discussed this kind of poem” (3). Even Chaucer referred to his, now famous, dream vision poems as tragedies, comedies, books, or things. He did not have a single term to exclusively name his dream-framework.

Cicero's poem Somnium Scipionis, otherwise known as “The Dream of Scipio”, introduces a special version of the dream vision not typically shared by many medieval versions: the soul flight. In this version, the guide figure takes the dreamer into the heavens from which they can contemplate the entirety of human and divine existence.

Origin

Examples 

Authors

Changes/Types

Work Cited 

  Russell, J. Stephen. “The English Dream Vision: Anatomy of a Form”. Columbus: Ohio State UP. 1988. Print.

Debate Poetry

The Debate Poem

What is Debate Poetry?

     A Debate Poem, in short, is a poem that typically takes two diametrically opposing ideas with figures allegorically representing these ideas, and pits them against each other in debate. Common opposites that are shown in many of these poems are themes or ideas such as: Body vs. Soul, Frugality vs. Wastefulness, Selfishness vs. Selflessness, Natural vs. Unnatural, and so on. Many of these poems use allegorical figures to represent these ideals, such as the use of birds (Owl and the Nightingale) or something more abstract, like Seasons (Wynner and Wastoure). Many of these poems come out with a clear winner, whereas some do not, and are left to the reader's interpretation to figure out 'who won', or perhaps more accurately, to figure out what the point of the debate was. 

Origin of Debate Poetry

      Debate Poetry stemmed from an increased amount of literacy during the eleventh century, and the desire to stretch one's cunning and rhetorical skill in a written format, which was becoming more and more popular due to the aforementioned increased literacy. Rhetoric was something that was taught in schools during the medieval period, and the advent of debate poetry and writing it down became such a popular form of displaying one's rhetorical skill, that it became even more important than it already was. In conjunction with literacy being a factor in the rise of debate poetry, there was also the influence of "the growth and literacy and textuality, the ethos of polemics in education, and the focalizing of group consciousness in cities and courts". (Medieval Debate Poetry: Vernacular Works xvi). Through these variables Debate Poetry became huge in the Medieval period. ( I plan to extrapolate further on these other influences on Debate Poetry in my final draft)

Other Sections of my Research Paper I plan to address

     Unfortunately, while I have an outline I what I want to address in my research paper, I do not have the thorough research to begin actual paragraphs. Here's some of the topics I want to address though:

Oppositions:

One key element to many Debate Poems is the idea of opposites. I will explore this facet of debate poetry by asking questions such as:

Why focus on opposites? What did the authors plan to accomplish by focusing on such? Do they have different reasons for using opposites? Why must everything be diametrically opposed? Is this always the case?

Irresolution:

Another key element of many Debate Poems is irresolution in the conclusion. Often times, the poem concludes with no clear winner. I will explore this facet of debate poetry by asking questions such as:

Why not give a concrete conclusion? Is this for the reader's sake? Does this weaken the author's rhetorical ability? Or does it strengthen it? Why give an abstract ending to something you thought would have clear winner?

Medieval Hagiography

           Medieval hagiography is most commonly known as a work of literature that tells the tale of a Saint’s life.  Hagiography alone is a genre that has been throughout society for a great deal of time but medieval hagiography is one of the most interesting subdivisions of this genre because of the momentum of Christianity at the time.  Travelling throughout Europe during the Middle Ages has caused this genre of literature to gain a life of its own.  Hagiographies travelled through Europe so easily because they were so closely tied with the Catholic Church.  Wherever the religion went, the stories of the Saints’ lives followed.

            Hagiographies serve many different purposes throughout. Hagiographical texts are argued upon greatly because scholars have very different opinions if these texts should be accredited as historical documents or not.  Many scholars believe that these texts give insight to the social and economic situations of everyday life. When analyzing the texts and images embedded within these texts, histiographers find some useful data that can give them insight on the different aspects of society during their time.  Take Saint Cosmas and Damian for example, both of these saints have hagiographies written about them and art created in their likeness.  These are useful because, “the various surgical instruments of Saint Cosmas and Damian on the Sinai icons in comparison with the preserved object may give information about the state of surgical art in Byzantine times” (Beldekos et al 2031).  Also, many scholars believe, “this literature preserves much valuable information not only about religious beliefs and customs bur also about daily life, institutions, and events in historical periods for which other evidence is either imprecise or nonexistent” (Encyclopedia Britannica).  Other scholars believe that these texts should be treated like a fable, a well-written fable, which descended from oral tradition.  Scholars often see these texts as fables because of their cliché endings and many have some of the same story lines, essentially.  Clary, a scholar that focuses on hagiographies, states, “hagiography lacks historical accuracy and tends to ignore the desultory parts of a subject’s character in order to preserve reputation.  Thus it is untrustworthy history writing” (241).  Also, he argues, “hagiography often shapes the subject’s life to fit with the culture and lessons that the biographer wants to portray, instead of letting the figures of history speak for themselves” (Clary 241).  In comparison, Mayeski believes that hagiographies “are assumed to reflect only popular religiosity and…usually dismissed as uncritical and unrelated to the actual formulation of tradition itself” (691). While both of these arguments are well versed, it is still unclear whether or not these documents can be representative of the society during the time in which they were written.  Looking at hagiographies on a deeper level, what aspects make these documents so powerful?

            Starting in the beginning of these texts, there are many different important aspects to a hagiography.  It is noted that the introduction to a hagiography is quite important.  The prologue to the hagiography gives the hagiographer a chance to put his or her own values and ideas in the work without being criticized for altering the story of the saint’s life.  This also allows, “the author an opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the work’s composition, outline the main themes, or chapters, cite his chief sources, or state his philosophical stance” (Goodich 168).  This introductory piece also provides “a good opportunity to speculate on the educational value of saints’ lives” (Goodich 171).  In a more religious sense, the prologue fostering an environment for the author to reflect on the Catholic Church and the definition of sainthood in the overall divine time period of salvation. (Goodich 173).  This section of the Hagiography is very important in the analysis of the entire work but there are smaller aspects that are also regarded as important throughout the actual hagiography. 

            Medieval hagiographies contain some of the same themes and ideals throughout the text, as one would expect.  There is a common theme of lamentation, especially of women, throughout hagiographies in the middle ages.  This theme can be seen throughout many different works is interesting because “scholars frequently point out that Christian theologians repeatedly denounced, and legislated against, noisy demonstrations of grief” (Bailey 537).  These texts, written around the same time period, contain some of the same aspects when looking at the depiction of women and certain themes.

Works Cited

Bailey, Anne E. "Lamentation Motifs In Medieval Hagiography." Gender & History 25.3 (2013): 529-544. Humanities Source. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Beldekos, Dimitris et al. “The Medical Vestment and Surgical Instruments of Saint Cosmas and Damian on Sinai Icons From the Seventh to the Eighteenth Century” Journal of Religion and Health 54.6 (2015): 2020-2032. ProQuest. 11 Jun 2014. Web. 20 Oct 2015.

Clary, Ian Hugh. “Evangelical Historiography: The Debate over Christian History” Evangelical Quarterly 87.3 (2015): 225-251. EBSCO Host. Web. 20 Oct 2015.

Goodich, Michael. “A Note on Sainthood in the Hagiographical Prologue.” History & Theory 20.2 (2001): 168-174. EBSCO Host. Web. 19 Oct 2015.

“Hagiography.” Encyclopaedia Britannica (2014): Research Starters. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.

Mayeski, Marie Anne. “New Voices in the Tradition: Medieval Hagiography Revisited.” Theological Studies 63.4 (2002): 690-710. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 19 Oct 2015.