Robert Henryson :: Критика
Творчість |
Біографія
|
Критика
His writing consists mainly of narrative works highly inventive in their development of story-telling techniques. He generally achieved a canny balance of humour and high seriousness which is often multi-layered in its effects. This is especially so in his Morall Fabillis, in which he expresses a consistent but complex world view that seems standard, on the surface, vis a vis the major ruling power of the church, while containing critical and questioning elements. This range is further extended in his Testament of Cresseid with its more tragic vision. Overall, his themes and tone convey an attractive impression of humanity and compassionate intellect. He was a subtle rhetorician and remains to this day one of the finest in the Scots language.
Although his writing usually incorporated a typically medieval didactic purpose, it also has much in common with other artistic currents of northern Europe which were generally developing, such the realism of Flemish painting, the historical candour of Barbour or the narrative scepticism of Chaucer. An example is his subtle use of psychology to convey individual character in carefully dramatised, recognisable daily-life situations which tend to eschew fantastic elements.
Although Henryson attracted much praise from his contemporaries, his work was largely neglected from the seventeenth century until its rediscovery in the twentieth century, when it was hailed as some of the greatest Scottish poetry of the era. A. M. Kinghorn has contended that Henryson's conservative morality combined with traditional themes and structures obscured his poetry for many years, creating the impression of a nondescript and typical medieval author until his style was thoroughly examined. Consequently, reviews of his work were generally limited to historical literary reviews and broad studies of Chaucer and his contemporaries for several centuries. Modern analytic evaluation of Henryson's work has generally focused on The Testament of Cresseid and The Morall Fabillis, regarded as his two masterpieces. Consistently appraised as an innovative take on Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, the Testament is most famous for Henryson's clever infusion of his contemporaneous morals and style into a classic tale. Though initially criticized as lacking the wit of Chaucer and taking an overly ruthless approach with Cresseid, further examination revealed the poem's superbly crafted structure and manipulations of the conventions and themes found in Troilus, clearly beyond the scope of any other makars. The Testament is currently recognized as an impressive and complex tragic narrative. The Morall Fabillis has attracted commendation for its ironic humor and great detail in imagery. Though initially denounced for its repetitive moral lectures and its verbosity, more recent criticism has extolled the fables for their colloquial structure and social commentary. Henryson's remarkable personification of the animals in his stories has also continued to impress scholars and has prompted a renewal of interest in this eminent work.
|
