The Isle of Ladies is an anonymous fifteenth-century dream vision poem about an island governed by women which is invaded by men, after which there ensues a series of courtly romantic exploits.[1] It is thought to draw on Chaucerian conventions, and some believe it to be written on the occasion of an aristocratic betrothal.[2] Others argue that it is a "mock courtly romance," [3] and a recent article examines feminine protest within the poem.[4]
It survives in only two manuscripts (Longleat House MS 256 and British Library MS Additional 10303), and extends to 2235 lines.[5]
References
edit- ^ Pearsall, Derek (1990). "Floure and the Leafe, The Assemblie of Ladies, and The Isle of Ladies". TEAMS Middle English texts. Medieval Institute Publications, University of Rochester. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ "The Isle of Ladies: Introduction | Robbins Library Digital Projects". Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ Markus, Manfred (1 January 1998). ""The Isle of Ladies" (1475) as Satire". Studies in Philology. 95 (3): 221–236. JSTOR 4174609.
- ^ Johnstone, Boyda (2019). ""Far semed her hart from obeysaunce": Strategies of Resistance in The Isle of Ladies". Studies in the Age of Chaucer. 41 (1): 301–324. doi:10.1353/sac.2019.0009. ISSN 1949-0755.
- ^ Daly, Vincent (1987). A Critical edition of "the Isle of ladies". The Renaissance imagination; v. 28. New York: Garland. ISBN 0824084071.
External links
edit- complete annotated text of The Isle of Ladies
- The isle of ladies a free translation and retelling in modern English of the story found in Longleat House MS 256.