920-72 Flashcards
About
-eight days before the end of May, January develops a desire to take his wife to the garden
-She signals Damien to go before them through the gate which she does hiding under a bush to wait for her
-Blind January Leeds me into the garden and slams the gate
-Before making love to her, he reaffirm his marriage vowels reminding care of the three benefits of marriage to him
-Despite his unattractiveness and asks for a kiss
“Olde lewed words”
-The confirmation of the attitude of illusion which characterised the narrative voice in the merchant tale is the description of January’s address to me as old lewed words
- In fact, the words are drawn inappropriately from the Bible
-The song Solomon, also known as a song of Canta Kels is a lyrical love song in the old Testament
-Interpreted by the Jewish faith as an expression of love by God for his chosen people
-And by Christianity as a metaphor for Christ relationship with his spouse, the church
“ Damien hath opened the wicket”
-The comic effect of this passage is achieved through bathos
- As January’s words are immediately followed by the detail with its unavoidable sexual innuendo of Damien‘s unlocking the gate sneaking into the garden and sitting under a bush
“Winter is gone” “ me kisse”
-January’s second address to may once in the garden offers a reprise of their vowels and to be sealed with a kiss
-But this time undertaken at a season and in a place more auspicious to May
-Their adultery takes place in the month of May
-In calendars May is also associated with hunting Hawking and gathering flowers pursuits associated with Courtly love
- January is blindness render him passive out of doors this is the domain in which may is in control
-January says winter is done ironically anticipating his own imminent devisor
-
“So depe imprinted in my thought/ I consider your beauty”
It is also his turn to take up the imprinting metaphor: such is the impression made by maze beauty that he can still see her despite his blindness
-But the image is not irrevocably tarnished by connotations of deceitfulness and faking since the episode of copying the key
“Verray love”
-The passage works to particular with expressions like this which convey the idea that January really does now love may
- With all the pathos that implies in the circumstances
-or whether the pervasive cynicism of the narrative voice prevents the finding any character capable of true altruism
“ in his garden”
The garden itself symbolises the intimate space of January and May
-But obviously foreshadows what is to come? The adultery as it reminds contemporary audiences and modern audiences of the garden of Eden and the betrayal of Eve
-He may obviously represent Eve and January represents Adam who was led a stray by Eve
-And Damien, the Serpent in the tree
“ how fairer be thy breasts than wine” “ on Damian a signal made she”
-January’s grand declarations show his true ignorance while he’s so focused on Mays physical appearance he’s being betrayed
-Meanwhile may silent complicity in Covid communication with Damien highlight the subversive nature of their affair which is a stock opposite to January‘s ostentatious display
“ with thine eyes Columbin”
-January is hyperbolic highly performative expressions of love and devotion
-Make it almost comical at how much he’s complimenting her when she right next to him is betraying him
-And the discrete actions and signals exchanged by main. Damien suggest that loving this context is more roast to be played than a genuine emotional state.
“ the garden is enclosed”
-ironic as no one else can see what’s going on in the garden but actually the keeper of the garden himself January cannot see what’s going on in his garden either, the adultery and betrayal.
