John Gower's Reputation: Literary Allusions from the Early Fifteenth Century to the Time of 'Pericles'

Abstract

In two centuries after Gower's death, poet's name is mentioned respectfully alongside that of Chaucer. However, had not nearly same popular appeal. There are three main reasons for this difference: wrote two extended works in French and in Latin; he concerned himself greatly with welfare of his country in his works; and he distributed copies of his works primarily to eminent men in church and state, thereby limiting their general dissemination. Initial references to are brief, and most are influenced by Chaucer’s allusion to moral Gower at end of Troilus and Criseyde. From there Gilroy-Scott traces Gower's influence through Scottish Chaucerians, Caxton, Skelton, Berthelet, Puttenham, Sir Philip Sidney, Robert Greene (at some length), and Shakespeare (in Pericles). is generally praised for his morality (although some severe voices object to lust of Venus) and commended for his compendious knowledge. Nevertheless, with passage of time his rhymes are increasingly seen as quaint and by time of Shakespeare he has become an antique figure endowed with a measure of rustic wisdom (47). Lacking popular appeal, was eventually assigned to the preserve of scholar and antiquarian (47). [CvD]

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