Gower's Animals

Sponsoring Organization(s)

John Gower Society

Organizer Name

Brian Gastle

Organizer Affiliation

Western Carolina Univ.

Presider Name

Gabrielle Parkin

Presider Affiliation

Case Western Reserve Univ.

Paper Title 1

Fowl Play: Birds and Social Bonds in "Tereus, Procne, and Philomela"

Presenter 1 Name

Jeffery G. Stoyanoff

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Spring Hill College

Paper Title 2

Animal Bodies, Social Critique, and Equine Medicine in John Gower's "Tale of Rosiphelee"

Presenter 2 Name

Francine McGregor

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Arizona State Univ.

Paper Title 3

Animal Life and Men of Law in John Gower's Mirour de l’omme and Vox clamantis

Presenter 3 Name

Natalie Grinnell

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Wofford College

Paper Title 4

The Kinde Creatures: Fair Trade in the Tale of Adrian and Bardus

Presenter 4 Name

Roger Ladd

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Univ. of North Carolina-Pembroke

Start Date

11-5-2017 3:30 PM

Session Location

Schneider 1330

Description

From the allegorized peasants stalking London in the Vox Clamantis to the metamorphosized Ovidian beasts in the Confessio Amantis, Gower’s narratives teem with animals. Throughout his poetry, animals figure political players, erotic desires, and social classes. Gower draws upon theories and descriptions of animals from bestiaries and Brunetto Latini, ancient and biblical literatures and medieval natural philosophy. This panel seeks papers focused upon these creatures in the English, Latin, and/or French works of Gower.

Brian Gastle