Connections Of Early Death In Medieval Poetry

John David Kytle

Ms. Morris

English 12- 3rd

05 December 2016

Connections of Early Death in Medieval Poetry The connections of early death in medieval poetry are very important. The Epic poem titled Beowulf was set in Scandinavia. During the composing of Beowulf, England was during converting from the Pagan culture to the Christian culture. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories in a frame story, which were set between 1387 and 1400. The pilgrims who traveled to Canterbury, who also come from all over society, told stories to each other to kill the time while they were traveling. Macbeth is one of the shortest plays Shakespeare ever wrote. The images of early death are expressed over a long period through works such as Beowulf, The

The unknown author of this Epic poem shows how early death is used in Beowulf. The unknown author writes, “crowded with sleeping warriors, stuffed with rows of young soldiers resting together. And his heart laughed, he relished the sight, intended to tear the life from those bodies by morning” (Beowulf 303-306). This explains how Beowulf’s soldiers never stood a chance on surviving because they were sound asleep in Hrothgar’s castle when Grendel arrived. When the soldiers woke up and realized what was going on, it was already too late because Grendel had already had his eyes on them as his next meal. The unknown author also writes, “No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could defeat this monster” (Beowulf 644-646). This refers to how Beowulf’s men were to coward to stand beside him in the battle because they were in fear of dying an early death. This connects back to early death by showing that these 12 men left his side in battle to save their lives from becoming what had happened to his other men in the Mead

Geoffrey Chaucer also shows his view on early death using the Black Plague. Chaucer writes, “There came a privy thief, they call him Death, who kills us all round here, and in a breath, he speared him through the heart, he never smiled” (line 95-97). This acknowledges how anyone can be killed at any certain time or place and that we as humans are not promised tomorrow. This also expresses how the Black Plague was very deadly and can kill anyone at any time. Chaucer also writes, “while you and he are struggling, as in game; Then draw your dagger too and do the same” (line 251-252). This signifies how greed and money can get to someone’s head and can cause people to destroy other people’s lives. This also resembles