Already a classic of modern translation, this fresh, vibrant work by dynamic British poet Simon Armitage updates the late fourteenth-century poem for a new generation. The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in its depiction of Arthurian landscapes, dreamlike castles, and violent winter journeys, demands a peerless storyteller, and, "like the Gawain poet [himself], Armitage is some storyteller" (The Guardian). The work is an unparalleled masterpiece of alliteration and rhyme, and "[Armitage's] version inventively recreates the original's gnarled, hypnotic music ... but also has a free-flowing, colloquial twang that allows the poem to partake of the energies of contemporary speech" (Financial Times).
believe_in_miracles
Posted June 14, 2009
This is a legendary story with a world of meaning applicable to any generation. As in any knightly adventure, there is a challenge and a quest, and in that, there is suspense to spare. Foremost, however, among the strengths of this story is the allegory of life. Gawain, the young nephew of King Arthur, takes on a quest, knowing that his only right to do so is that he is a relative of the king. In his own strength, he faces death, knowing that he, unlike his opponent, the Green Knight, will not pick up his head from the ground and walk away. Yet, his sense of honor to his king will not allow him to miss his pledged meeting with the Green Knight. While his moment of encounter is admirable, he has, at this point, kept a magic girdle, given to him by the wife of a kind lord who allows Gawain to stay at his castle while he is on his quest. The girdle has the power to save Gawain's life. This added element brings his honor into question, but, thankfully, the story does not end there. The confrontation with the Green Knight is a lesson learned in confession, repentance, and restoration as Gawain is faced with the reality of who he is and who he can be. The green girdle, at the end, is no longer a mark of shame, but a mark of honor. Readers will surely identify with the young Gawain, who faces a grave sin for a knight, but in facing it, moves beyond it to a life of true honor.
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Posted October 1, 2009
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Posted February 1, 2010
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Overview
Already a classic of modern translation, this fresh, vibrant work by dynamic British poet Simon Armitage updates the late fourteenth-century poem for a new generation. The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in its depiction of Arthurian landscapes, dreamlike castles, and violent winter journeys, demands a peerless storyteller, and, "like the Gawain poet [himself], Armitage is some storyteller" (The Guardian). The work is an unparalleled masterpiece of alliteration and rhyme, and "[Armitage's] version ...