When was John Gower born and when did he die?
John Gower lived from approximately 1330 until October 1408. Very few details exist about his birth or early family life.
Questions about John Gower
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What are the three major works written by John Gower in French, Latin, and English?
The first work surviving today is the Speculum Meditantis also known by the French title Mirour de l'Omme. His second major work was the Vox Clamantis written entirely in Latin. The third work is the Confessio Amantis a 30,000-line poem in octosyllabic English couplets.
Why did King Richard II commission the Confessio Amantis from John Gower?
King Richard II invited him aboard the royal barge on the Thames circa 1385. Their conversation resulted in a commission for the work that would become the Confessio Amantis.
How did John Gower receive financial support from Henry IV?
In 1399 Henry IV granted him a pension in the form of an annual allowance of two pipes of Gascony wine. Critics have speculated which late work triggered this royal wine allowance.
Where did John Gower live during the middle 1370s until his death?
At some point during the middle 1370s he took up residence in rooms provided by the Priory of St Mary Overie now Southwark Cathedral. After his death in 1408 Gower was interred in an ostentatious tomb in the Priory church where it remains today.