Shoaf here presents a hitherto neglected Middle English text for both undergraduate and graduate classrooms: Thomas Usk's The Testament of Love. Left unpublished since the nineteenth century, Usk's modern edition includes glosses, notes, and a contextualizing introduction to assist students of all levels in approaching Usk's Middle English poem. The fourteenth-century work describes Love descending to Usk's prison cell, and the two engaging in a long, theological conversation reminiscent of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy. Notable for its idiosyncratic imagery, wide variety of themes, and Christian sentimentality, The Testament of Love is a fascinating text to be studied in any Middle English classroom.
| ISBN: | 9781580440011 |
| Publication date: | 1st June 1998 |
| Author: | Thomas Usk |
| Publisher: | Medieval Institute Publications |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 471 pages |
| Series: | TEAMS Middle English Texts Series |
| Genres: |
Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval |