Gower - John Gower

English poet. Born into a distinguished family in Kent. He lived a life of affluence as a landowner, frequenting the royal court, the cultural center of his time, and was favored by King Richard II. He was also friends with Chaucer, and was known as the "moral Gower" due to the respect he received from those around him. He is said to have gone blind in his later years, and was buried in the monastery (now Southwark Cathedral) in Southwark, a suburb of London, and his grave still remains. He was well versed in the traditional literature of the European continent and was fluent in three languages, but his works generally show a "moral" tendency. His representative work, "The Lover's Confession" (1390-1393, English), is structured to intertwine courtly love with the theme of the "Seven Deadly Sins," and tells various legends in a moralistic way. "The Mirror of the Meditator" (1376-1379, French) preaches about the sinfulness of man and the mercy of Mary, while "The Voice of the Screamer" (1377-1381, Latin) denounces social injustice and the corruption of the church.

[Takada Yasunari]

"The Lover's Confession, translated by Masayoshi Ito (1980, Shinozaki Shorin)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの詩人。ケント州の名家の出身。終生地主として富裕な生活を送り、時の文化の中心である宮廷に出入りし、リチャード2世王の知遇を得た。チョーサーとも親交があり、周囲の尊敬を集めて「道徳的ガワー」とよばれた。晩年失明が伝えられ、ロンドン郊外のサザークSouthwarkの修道院（現、サザーク大聖堂）に葬られ、墓は現存する。ヨーロッパ大陸の伝統文芸に通じ、3か国語を駆使したが、作品は一般に「道徳的」傾向を示す。代表作『恋人の告解』（1390～1393、英語）は、宮廷恋愛と「七つの大罪」の主題を絡ませた構成で、種々の伝説を教訓的に物語る。『瞑想(めいそう)者の鏡』（1376～1379、フランス語）は人の罪深さとマリアの慈悲を説き、『叫ぶ者の声』（1377～1381、ラテン語）は社会の不正、教会の堕落を糾弾する。

［高田康成］

『伊藤正義訳『恋人の告解』（1980・篠崎書林）』

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