Medieval Studies

1 total work

The Romance of the Rose

by Guillaume De Lorris, Jean De Meung, and Meun, Jean de

Published 1 April 1962

This work is seen as one of the great monuments of medieval literature. Guillaume de Lorris began the poem in 1237 but left it incomplete at line 4058. An anonymous poet gave a 78-line conclusion, which proved to be of only temporary value, for Jean de Meun wrote an amplification ending at line 21,780. Guillaume de Lorris created "Le Roman de la Rose" as an allegory of courtly love. In this dream-vision, writes Charles W. Dunn in his introduction, "the lover is not only the Poet but also Everyman, or, at least, Every Courtier. The Rose is not only the Poet's Beloved; she is also Every Lover's ideal Lady". In his continuation of the poem, Jean de Meun "radically changed the original intent...and made it a satire on many aspects of medieval life, but especially on women and marriage". This is a translation of this epic poem.