John Gower
John Gower lived from approximately 1330 until October 1408. Very few details exist about his birth or early family life. He likely belonged to a family holding properties in Kent and Suffolk. Linguistic arguments suggest his formative years were spent partly in Kent and partly in Suffolk. Scholars note that the Gower family of Kent and Suffolk cannot be related to the Yorkshire Gowers because their coats of arms are drastically different. Macaulay and other critics observed he must have spent considerable time reading the Bible, Ovid, Secretum Secretorum, Petrus Riga, Speculum Speculationum, Valerius Maximus, John of Salisbury, and others. His source of income remains a mystery throughout history.
Gower is remembered primarily for three major works written in French, Latin, and English respectively. The first work surviving today is the Speculum Meditantis, also known by the French title Mirour de l'Omme. This poem contains just under 30,000 lines with a dense exposition of religion and morality. 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. These poems are united by common moral and political themes despite their different languages. One scholar asserts that the Confessio Amantis almost exclusively made his poetic reputation. Fisher views these three major works as one continuous work with In Praise of Peace as a capstone.
In the prologue of the first recension of the Confessio Amantis, Gower tells how 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. Later in life his allegiance switched to the future Henry IV. Later editions of the Confessio Amantis were dedicated to Henry IV instead of Richard II. Much of this history is based on circumstantial rather than documentary evidence. 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. Candidates include Cronica tripertita or an illustrated presentation copy of Confessio with dedication to Henry IV.
Gower's friendship with Chaucer is well documented through historical records. When Chaucer was sent as a diplomat to Italy in 1378, Gower was one of the men to whom he gave power of attorney over his affairs in England. The two poets paid one another compliments in their verse. Chaucer dedicated his Troilus and Criseyde in part to moral Gower. Gower reciprocated by placing a speech in praise of Chaucer in the mouth of Venus at the end of the Confessio Amannis. Fisher concludes they were living near each other in the period from 1376 to 1386. They influenced each other in several ways regarding poetic structure and subject matter. Most of the individuals in the General Prologue are members of classes criticized in Mirour and Vox Clamantis.
When Wickert attempted to date Vox Clamantis Books Two to Seven she found two passages predicting the revolt. One passage uses the metaphor of the stinging nettle to predict the impending catastrophe. The second is the final couplet of Vox Clamantis Book Five Chapter 10 which predicts trouble in a short time. Gower's warnings and call for reform were ignored both before and after the events of 1381. The first book has an allegorical account of the Peasants' Revolt which begins as an allegory and becomes quite specific. It ends with an allusion to William Walworth's suppression of the rebels. Gower takes the side of the aristocracy but describes Richard II's actions as those of a captain who vainly endeavoured to direct the ship's course.
Sebastian Sobecki discovered the early provenance of the trilingual Trentham manuscript revealing Gower as a poet not afraid to give Henry IV stern political advice. Sobecki also claims to have identified Gower's autograph hand in two manuscripts. At some point during the middle 1370s he took up residence in rooms provided by the Priory of St Mary Overie now Southwark Cathedral. In 1398 while living here he married Agnes Groundolf who survived him. In his last years possibly as early as 1400 he became blind. After his death in 1408 Gower was interred in an ostentatious tomb in the Priory church where it remains today.
In the 16th century John Gower was generally regarded alongside Chaucer as the father of English poetry. In the 18th and 19th centuries however his reputation declined largely on account of perceived didacticism and dullness. The American poet and critic James Russell Lowell claimed Gower positively raised tediousness to the precision of science. After publication of Macaulay's edition of the complete works in 1901 he has received more recognition notably by C. S. Lewis, Wickert, Fisher, Yeager and Peck. However he has not obtained the same following or critical acceptance as Geoffrey Chaucer. His poetry has had a mixed critical reception throughout history from Renaissance praise to Victorian neglect and modern revival.
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Common questions
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.
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.