''Mirour de l'Omme'' ("the mirror of mankind") (also ''Speculum Hominis''), which has the Latin title ''Speculum Meditantis'' ("mirror of meditation"), is an Anglo-Norman

poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

of 29,945 lines written in iambic

octosyllable The octosyllable or octosyllabic verse is a Meter (poetry), line of verse with eight syllables. It is equivalent to tetrameter verse in trochees in languages with a stress accent. Its first occurrence is in a 10th-century Old French saint's legend, ...

s by

John Gower John Gower (; c. 1330 – October 1408) was an English poet, a contemporary of William Langland and the Pearl Poet, and a personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. He is remembered primarily for three major works—the ''Mirour de l'Omme'', ''Vox ...

(c. 1330 – October 1408). Gower's major theme is man's

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. Internal evidence (no mention of

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

) suggests that composition was completed before 1380. G. C. Macaulay discovered the only

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

in the

Cambridge University Library Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge. It is the largest of over 100 libraries Libraries of the University of Cambridge, within the university. The library is a major scholarly resource for me ...

. Only part of the poem survives; the conclusion has been lost.

Summary

The union of the Devil and Sin produces the seven daughters: Pride, Envy, Ire, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony and Lechery. Reason and Conscience are unable to save mankind from the daughters and their granddaughters. In the second third of ''Mirour'', God sends the seven Virtues who have granddaughters who oppose the Devil's forces. Much of the final third is an "extensive examination of the corruption of the Three Estates of society -- Church, State and Workers. Everyone is tainted." Repentance requires the intercession of the Virgin. The conclusion of the poem has been lost.

Literary merit

Macaulay starts with: "it would be absurd to claim for it a high degree of literary merit, but it is nevertheless a somewhat noticeable and interesting performance". He then praises it for its design and thoroughness. R. F. Yeager compares this poem to Milton's poems. ''Mirour'' is "not easy, either to read or always to appreciate". The magnitude of vision and Gower's creative eclecticism make the ''Mirour'' unique.

Choice of language

Yeager gives two quite different reasons for the poem being written in French. When composition started in the 1360s, Anglo-Norman was an important language in the court of Edward III. Gower was writing for the moral instruction of the king and his court. Existing Anglo-Norman literature leaned toward romance (although Duke Henry's ''

Le Livre de Seyntz Medicines ' (''The Book of Holy Medicines'') is a fourteenth-century devotional treatise written by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster around 1354. It is a work of allegory in which he describes his body as under attack from sin: his heart is the cas ...

'' was an exception); English literature was moralistic. Gower followed a "bait and switch" strategy to attract readers looking for a romance. After the death of

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

he was probably resident at St Mary Overie. This priory was an Augustinian institution where Anglo-Norman was spoken. Benedictine and Augustinian houses produced "acceptable alternatives to popular literature". "Gower could well have felt himself moved to provide for his new associates with a pen as well as pounds sterling."

Importance

''Mirour'' is the basis for the claim for that Gower was a major innovator of form. Gower is sometimes credited with a major innovation in poetic form. Chaucer "left it to Gower to invent the iambic

tetrameter In poetry, a tetrameter is a line of four metrical feet. However, the particular foot can vary, as follows: * '' Anapestic tetrameter:'' ** "And the ''sheen'' of their ''spears'' was like ''stars'' on the ''sea''" (Lord Byron, " The Destruction ...

, and to later centuries of poets to solve the problems of its potential monotony; he himself merely polished the traditional Middle English short line." Fisher pointed that lines 26482 foresaw the Peasants' Revolt with "startling clarity". The centre section is an example of estate satire. Gower considered ''Mirour'' to be his first major work. It is described in a recurring colophon composed in 1390.

Translation

References

{{Reflist Anglo-Norman literature 14th-century poems