Luminarium’s webpage on Middle English Lyrics.A video of Ardis Butterfield, Yale professor of English and Music, discussing Medieval Lyrics and Chaucer.Some lyrics are written in a female voice, but it would be unlikely since those lyrics are written in a harsh satire against women. It has also been inferred that the authors of these lyrics were primarily male. Since the topics of the lyrics are secular, it is possible that the clerics were not writing the lyrics, but simply writing them down. Since these lyrics were written in a clear medieval Latin, scholars infer that these authors were likely clerics, familiar with other languages as well. Many of Chaucer’s lines bear an uncanny resemblance to Middle English Lyrics. Evidence for this appears in a variety of Middle English poetry, especially Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. It is most likely many lyrics that survive today were widely recited in various forms before being written down. Most lyrics are often un-dateable, and they appear in collections with no apparent organic unity. Additionally, identifying authors is very difficult. Because the lyrics reflect on a sort of “community property” of ideas, the concept of copyrighting a lyric to a particular author is usually inappropriate. Most Middle English Lyrics are anonymous. We do not know if they were set to music, but it could be possible, as several include music for accompaniment. Finally, Musical Effects also encourage audience participation, and they take the form of rhythms and sounds (for example, onomatopoeia is not an uncommon trope employed). In addition to functioning thematically, the refrain encourages the audience to participate in singing the lyric. The Refrain gives the lyric unity and provides commentary (this is not unlike the bob and wheel found in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). The Refrain, however, has several critical functions. The rhyme scheme primarily functions as a mnemonic device for the audience. Keeping in mind an aural audience, the lyric is usually structured with poetic devices: an obvious rhyme scheme, internal rhyme, wordplay, allegory, refrain, and sometimes musical effects. Middle English Lyrics were meant to be heard, not read. Two of the lyrics presented below are given alongside their original middle English versions. Some are sarcastic, take on satire, humorous, and sometimes even crude. Others are secular, focusing on ale, women, and the simple joys of life. Other religious topics focus on Adam and the Fall, or the necessity of faith. Some deal with religious topics pertaining to Jesus or the Virgin Mary, focusing on Christ’s sacrifice and salvation, or Mary’s roles as a mother and intercessor. Even though Lyrics appear individual and personal, they are not “original ” instead, lyrics express a common state of mind. Although some lyrics have narratives, the plots are usually simple to emphasize an occasional, common experience. Conventionally, the lyric expresses “a moment,” usually spoken or performed in the first person. The “Middle English Lyric” is a genre of English Literature, popular in the 14th Century, is characterized by its brevity and emotional expression. “Cantigas de Santa Maria of European and Islamic musicians in 13th century playing stringed instruments,” by unknown artist.
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