Kildare Poems: “Satire”

notes on phonology

No Great Vowel Shift

Words still pronounced with ME vowels:

hous = /hu:s/

welle ≠ PDE pronunciation

Pronounced consonants

, , final -e often pronounced.

/r/ pronounced after vowels.

Irish / regional influence

Some spellings reflect:

conservative pronunciation,

regional Anglo-Irish forms

notes on lexis

Religious vocabulary

Seint Michel

Holi Writte

Seint Benet

Reflects ecclesiastical culture.

Urban/commercial vocabulary

bakers

brewesters

pillori

galuns

quartes

Shows urban satire and trade regulation.

French and Latin influence

Examples:

consonans

wowel

disciplineþ

Reflect learned vocabulary entering English

notes on morphology

Verb endings

Plural endings

swimmeþ

filleþ

disciplineþ

Conservative ME verbal morphology

Participles with i-/y-

iwroȝt

ifillid

imakid

From OE ge- participle prefix.

Pronouns

þou

ȝe

ur

Still preserves singular/plural distinctions

notes on syntax

No do-support

Negatives and statements formed without auxiliary "do

Inversion/common ME word order

"Fair beþ þi winges"

"Hail be ȝe bakers"

Verb-first structures common

Formulaic repetitive syntax

Repeated:

"Hail be ȝe..." Creates satirical litany structure.

Hail, Seint Michel wiþ þe lange sper!

Fair beþ þi winges vp þi scholder.

Þou hast a rede kirtil anon to þi fote,

Þou ert best angle þat euer God makid.

Þis uers is ful wel iwroȝt;

Hit is of wel furre ybroȝt.

Hail, Saint Michael with the long spear!

Fair are your wings above your shoulders.

You have a red robe/kirtle down to your feet,

You are the best angel that God ever made.

This verse is very well composed

It is brought from a great distance

Hail, Seint Cristofre wiþ þi lang stake!

Þou ber ur louerd Jesus Crist ouer þe brod lake.

Mani grete kunger swimmeþ abute þi fete.

Hou mani hering to peni at West Chep in London?

Þis uers is of Holi Writte;

Hit com of noble witte.

Hail, Saint Christopher with your long stake

You carried our Lord Jesus Christ across the broad river

Many great conger eels swim about your feet

How many herrings for a penny at Westcheap in London

This verse is from Holy Scripture;

It came from noble wit/intelligence

Seint Mari bastard, þe Maudleinis sone,

To be wel icloþed wel was þi wone.

Þou berrist a box on þi hond ipeintid al of gold.

Woned þou wer to be hend, ȝiue us sum of þi spicis.

Þis uers is imakid wel

Of consonans and wowel.

Saint Mary's bastard, the Magdalen's son, your custom was always to be well dressed. You carry a box in your hand painted all over with gold. You were accustomed to be courteous give us some of your spices. This verse is well made, of consonants and vowels.

Hail be ȝe Gilmins wiþ ȝur blake gunes!

Ȝe leuith þe wildirnis and filleþ þe tunis.

Menur wiþoute and prechur wiþinne,

Ȝur abite is of gadering; þat is mochil schame.

Sleilich is þis uers iseid;

Hit wer harme adun ileiid.

Hail to your Gilmins (3th-century Anglo-Irish poetry to describe specific orders of friars.) with your black robes! You leave the wilderness and fill the towns. frairs without/ outside and preachers within, your customary practice is the collecting of money, that is a great disgrace. This verse is cleverly said. It would be injurious set down in writing.

Hail, ȝe holi monkes wiþ ȝur corrin,

Late and raþe ifillid of ale and wine!

Depe cun ȝe bouse, þat is al ȝure care.

Wiþ Seint Benetis scurge lome ȝe disciplineþ

Takeþ hed al to me!

Þat þis is slech, ȝe mow wel se.

Hail, you holy monks with your tankards, late and early filled with ale and wine! You know how to drink deeply, that is your entire concern. You discipline frequently with Saint Benedict's scourge. Everyone pay attention to me: that this is artful you can see well.

Hail be ȝe bakers wiþ ȝur louis smale

Of white bred and of blake, ful mani and fale!

ȝe pincheþ on þe riȝt white aȝens G[o]ddes law;

To þe fair pillori ich rede ȝe tak hede!

Þis uers is iwrowȝte so welle

Þat no tung iwis mai telle.

Hail, you bakers with your small loaves! of white and black bread very many and false! You cheat on the weight, against God's law. Take heed, I advise, to the fine pillory! This verse is so well made that no tongue, indeed, can tell of it.

Hail be ȝe brewesters wiþ ȝur galuns,

Potels and quartes ouer al þe tounes!

ȝur þowmes berriþ moch awai, schame hab þe gyle,

Beþ iwar of þe coking-stole, þe lak is dep and hori.

Sikerlich he was a clerk

Þat so sleilich wroȝte þis werk.

Hail, you brewers with your gallons, half-gallons and quarts over all the towns! Your thumb-measures steal a lot away, shame on the double-dealing. Be wary of the cucking-stool, the lake is deep and muddy.

Truly, he was a learned man who composed this work so craftily.

context of satire

Context

From the Kildare Poems (BL Harley 913).

Produced in Middle English Ireland.

Reflects:

multilingual Ireland,

Anglo-Norman influence,

local Irish English developments.

Satirical poem attacking:

clergy,

monks,

bakers,

brewers

notes on orthography

uses <þ> and <ȝ> regularly.

No standard spelling system.

used for /ʃ/.

Strong ME orthographic conventions.

e.g

wiþ means with with the thorn

iwroȝt means made with the yogh

ȝe meaning ye/ you with yogh

schame meaning shame with the sch for ʃ

louerd meaning lord has a conservative spelling

essay points

Morphology

"swimmeþ" 3rd person singular/plural inflection.

Orthography

"iwroȝt" Shows yogh and participial prefix.

Syntax

"Fair beþ þi winges" Verb-first syntax unlike PDE.

Dialect / ME Feature

"ȝe leuith þe wildirnis" Yogh + conservative plural pronoun system.

Strong Commentary Sentence Template

The extract shows conservative Middle English morphology through inflectional verb endings such as -þ and participial prefixes like i- in iwroȝt, features inherited from Old English but largely lost in Present-Day English.

That kind of sentence scores well because it:

identifies the feature,

explains it historically,

compares ME and PDE.