What Is Medieval Poetry?

Medieval poetry is a type of literary verse that was written during the Middle Ages and that has specific subject matter relevant to this time period. This kind of poetry most often covers topics of religious devotion and of courtly love, both of which had a great deal of importance in medieval society. Since rates of literacy were relatively low during this period in history, medieval poetry was often spoken before it was eventually written down. Professional reciters called minstrels or troubadours typically traveled from one town to the next and performed long epic poems from memory. Their purpose was usually to instruct as much as to entertain the denizens of each town or village.

Many topics of medieval poetry were concerned with religion and the accepted ideas of virtue. This subject matter reflects the importance of the church as a unifying influence on people from otherwise different cultural backgrounds. Monks and priests were usually the ones who composed or transcribed medieval religious poems because they were the literate minority during this time period. Much of this religious poetry sought to teach lessons on morality and piety, and it also offered solace to an audience frequently living with hardships such as disease and poverty.

Courtly love was an additional focus of medieval poetry. These poems were the most popular ones for troubadour performances. These types of verses revered women and imparted ideas of heroism.

Much of this poetry was composed in verses that were set to music, and some performers also sang these romantic poems a cappella instead of simply reciting them. Medieval poetry about courtly love is considered one of the first appearances of romantic passion ideals in literature. Since much of this poetry has a definite oral tradition, the exact identities of many courtly love poets have been lost to history.

While many medieval poems were dramatic and serious, others were satirical and meant to poke fun at the shortcomings of certain socioeconomic classes. One of the most famous examples is Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. This poem and others written during the medieval period also represent a shift in written language use as well. While many poems were written only in Latin, others appeared in vernacular languages such as Old English, Irish, and French. This new literary practice grew along with rates of literacy among the common people, and this aspect of later medieval poetry helped to set the stage for the Renaissance era that followed.