 | The Testament of Love Subjects: London (England) -- History -- To 1500 -- Poetry; Political prisoners -- England -- London -- Poetry; Christian poetry English (Middle); Politicians -- England -- London -- Poetry; Philosophy Medieval -- Poetry; Autobiography -- Poetry; Love -- Poetry; ; Shoaf here presents a hitherto neglected Middle English text for both undergraduate and graduate classrooms: Thomas Usk's The Testament of Love. Left unpublished since the nineteenth century, Usk's modern edition includes glosses, notes, and a contextualizing introduction to assist students of all levels in approaching Usk's Middle English poem. The fourteenth century work describes Love descending to Usk's prison cell, and the two engaging in a long, theological conversation reminiscent of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy. Notable for its idiosyncratic imagery, wide variety of themes, and Christian sentimentality, The Testament of Love is a fascinating text to be studied in any Middle English classroom. R. Allen Shoaf is Professor of English at the University of Florida. He co-founded and edited Exemplaria: A Journal of Theory in Medieval and Renaissance Studies between 1987 and 2008 and currently is a member of the Advisory Boards of The Chaucer Review and Advances in Literary Study. |
