Questions and Answers
What is the current state of evidence regarding the identity of Nicholas of Guildford as the author of The Owl and the Nightingale?
There is no firm evidence to support such an identification and no certain trace of the existence of any Nicholas of Guildford
What is the likely target audience for The Owl and the Nightingale, according to some academic discussions?
A religious group of nuns and other religious women
What is the significance of the reference to 'king Henri' in lines 1091-2 of The Owl and the Nightingale?
It is a reference to either the death of Henry II of England in 1189 or of Henry III of England in 1272
What is the current understanding of the original dialect of The Owl and the Nightingale?
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What is the relationship between the two surviving manuscripts of The Owl and the Nightingale?
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What is the main theme of 'The Owl and the Nightingale'?
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Which language was predominantly used for poetic verse contests during the twelfth or thirteenth century, according to the context?
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What makes 'The Owl and the Nightingale' distinct in Middle English literature?
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Who might the nightingale in the poem represent, according to one theory?
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Which of the following statements about Nicholas of Guildford is true?
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Study Notes
Authorship and Date
- There is no firm evidence to support Nicholas of Guildford as the author of The Owl and the Nightingale.
- The poem's date of composition is uncertain, but it is likely from the 12th or 13th century.
- Some scholars argue that the poem was written after the death of Henry III in 1272.
The Owl and the Nightingale Poem
- It is a Middle English poem that details a debate between an owl and a nightingale.
- It is the earliest example of a literary form known as debate poetry or verse contest in Middle English.
- The poem shows the influence of French linguistic, literary, and rhetorical techniques.
- The poem includes a prayer for the soul of "king Henri", which could refer to either Henry II or Henry III of England.
Manuscripts
- There are two known manuscripts of The Owl and the Nightingale: Jesus College, Oxford, MS. 29 and British Library, Cotton MS. Caligula A.ix.
- Both manuscripts are estimated to be from the latter half of the 13th century and were copied from one lost exemplar.
Jesus College, Oxford, MS. 29
- This manuscript contains 33 texts in English, Anglo-Norman, and Latin.
- All of the script is in one hand and written in a plain, amateurish style.
- The Owl and the Nightingale is written in two columns.
Linguistic Evidence
- Linguistic evidence suggests the poem's origins lie in Kent or a neighboring region, but this theory is not widely supported.
- Some scholars argue that the poem's provenance could be anywhere in Wessex, the Home Counties, or the south-west Midlands.
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