“She ys ded!”: Loss and Transformation in Pearl, The Book of The Duchess and Orpheus and Eurydice

Abstract

This study argues that in three selected medieval poems, Pearl by the Pearl-poet, The Book of the Duchess by Geoffrey Chaucer, and Orpheus and Eurydice by Robert Henryson, the personae experience profound introspective and spiritual transformation catalysed by their encounter with loss. Collectively, these poems illustrate a diverse array of emotional, spiritual, and psychological responses to loss. These responses caused by loss serve as potential catalysts for an inward and turbulent process, in which the personae engage in practices of reflection on the nature of loss and life that ultimately result in various types of transformations. The term loss in this study encompasses not only the death of a loved one but also the experience of being separated from them. As a result, it also extends to any profound emotional, spiritual, and existential cuts that disrupt the nature of the bereaved persona. On the other hand, transformation is defined by a dynamic process of change which is precipitated by the inward reflections on the nature of loss within the narratives that are specifically designed to facilitate transformation. Not all the transformations examined in the study are fully comprehensive or uniform, but essential for spiritual growth and understanding. In Pearl, the Dreamer is transformed through his reflections on the devotional aspect of loss. In The Book of the Duchess, Chaucer illustrates two representations of loss and transformation through the dreamer and the Black Knight who are transformed from passivity to re-enactment. In Orpheus and Eurydice, the bereaved Orpheus begins to comprehend his human limitations. This study proposes that each poet uniquely portrays these various representations of loss and transformation through their distinct approaches in the narrative. Thus, the method of this study is based on the textual analyses of the themes of loss and transformation in Pearl, The Book of the Duchess, and Orpheus and Eurydice.

This study argues that in three selected medieval poems, Pearl by the Pearl-poet, The Book of the Duchess by Geoffrey Chaucer, and Orpheus and Eurydice by Robert Henryson, the personae experience profound introspective and spiritual transformation catalysed by their encounter with loss. Collectively, these poems illustrate a diverse array of emotional, spiritual, and psychological responses to loss. These responses caused by loss serve as potential catalysts for an inward and turbulent process, in which the personae engage in practices of reflection on the nature of loss and life that ultimately result in various types of transformations. The term loss in this study encompasses not only the death of a loved one but also the experience of being separated from them. As a result, it also extends to any profound emotional, spiritual, and existential cuts that disrupt the nature of the bereaved persona. On the other hand, transformation is defined by a dynamic process of change which is precipitated by the inward reflections on the nature of loss within the narratives that are specifically designed to facilitate transformation. Not all the transformations examined in the study are fully comprehensive or uniform, but essential for spiritual growth and understanding. In Pearl, the Dreamer is transformed through his reflections on the devotional aspect of loss. In The Book of the Duchess, Chaucer illustrates two representations of loss and transformation through the dreamer and the Black Knight who are transformed from passivity to re-enactment. In Orpheus and Eurydice, the bereaved Orpheus begins to comprehend his human limitations. This study proposes that each poet uniquely portrays these various representations of loss and transformation through their distinct approaches in the narrative. Thus, the method of this study is based on the textual analyses of the themes of loss and transformation in Pearl, The Book of the Duchess, and Orpheus and Eurydice.