OWL AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Owl And The Nightingale

Owl And The Nightingale

Introduction

The Owl and the Nightingale remains one of the most well-regarded and critically scrutinized works of Middle English literature and a delightful and intriguing poem unsurpassed within its time period and genre. The Owl and the Nightingale takes the form of a spirited dispute between two birds on the subject of the relative beauty and merit of their songs.

Discussion

Unlike most debate poetry of the period, The Owl and the Nightingale offers no resolution, thus forcing the reader to interpret the highly ambiguous text for himself. The debate itself covers a very ...