Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Humanities (Nagasaki) 24.2 (1984): 97-111.
The narrator of MerT evokes the same moral response from the audience as the authors of the "Comedy." Although the narrator appeals to the superiority of the audience over his dramatic characters, he perhaps admires their crudeness, which the…
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Humanities 23:2 (1983): 29-41.
Compares MerT with "Comedy of Lydia" (an analogue) and suggests that Chaucer looks on the January-May follies with amusement whereas the laughter in "Comedy" is didactic.
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, 20 (1979): 27-42.
Chaucer as a court poet adapts himself to the pattern of sentiments of the court audience. He views the bourgeois pragmatism from the aristocratic standpoint. However, in his fabliaux he could deliberately make fun of the attitude of the…
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Humanities 13 (1972): 53-66.
Surveys Chaucer's uses of courtly notions in his poetry, focusing on courtesy, service, connections with feudalism and Christianity, and the lady's grace and mercy; also comments on the negative qualities of somnolence and gluttony. Draws examples…
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities (Nagasaki University) 11 (1970): 61-69; 12 (1971): 65-76.
Discuses idealism and human foibles depicted in Chaucer's works, assessing them in light of contemporary social, political, and religious controversies and exploring how Chaucer poses ideals without denying human reality. Available at…
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities (Nagasaki University) 3 (1963); 104-12; 4 (1964): 22-42; 10 (1969): 39-50; 10 (1969): 39-50.
Commentary on social, political, ecclesiastical, and religious aspects of CT, with attention to particular pilgrims. Limited availability at http://hdl.handle.net/10069/9502; http://hdl.handle.net/10069/9506; http://hdl/handle.net/10069/9570;…
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Humanities 26.2 (1986): 43-57; 27.2 (1987): 1-17; 28.2 (1988): 1-15.
Part 1 describes the Canterbury pilgrims that qualify as "gentils" by birth, education, or accomplishment (Knight, Prioress, Monk, Squire, Franklin, Merchant, Guildsmen, Sergeant of Law, Physician, Parson, and Nun's Priest), explaining details of…
Hira, Toshinori.
In [Anonymous ed.,] Essays in English and American Literature: In Commemoration of Professor Takejiro Nakayama's Sixty-First Birthday (Tokyo: Shohakuska, 1961), pp. 31-44.
Offers historical context for and commentary on the characterizations of the pilgrims in the CT who may be considered "gentry," both those of traditional gentle birth and those on the rise as a class of new gentry.
Hira, Toshinori.
Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Humanities 18 (1978): 59-78.
Considers the techniques of characterization in CT, with particular attention to the range of social classes and the assigning of fabliaux to particular tellers. Comments on the gender of individual tellers and on the likelihood of class and gender…
Hirabayashi, Mikio.
Daito Bunka Daigaku Kiyo, Jinbun Kagaku (Bulletin of Daito Bunka University: The Humanities) 45 (2007): 157-73.
Lists examples from Chaucer's works of rhetorical devices recommended by Aristotle and/or used by Ovid, demonstrating Chaucer's place in the rhetorical tradition of Western European literature.
Argues that, despite the influence of French on the idioms, spelling, and pronunciation of Chaucer's English, the "basic structure of English as a Germanic language . . . remained intact." In Japanese, with English abstract.
Hirose, Sutezo.
Hisayuki Sasamoto et al., eds. Hearts to the English-American Language and Literature: Essays Presented to Emeritus Professor Sutezo Hirose in Honour of His 88th Birthday (Osaka: Osaka Kyoiku Tosho, 1999), pp. iii-vi.
Hirsh, John C.
English Language Notes 13 (1975): 89-90.
In forecasting Monday as the date of the flood, Nicholas seized on John's belief in current superstitions of the day's ill reputation, due both to its etymological association with the unstable moon and to the tradition of certain "perilous Mondays,"…
Hirsh, John C.
C. David Benson and Elizabeth Robertson, eds. Chaucer's Religious Tales (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1990), no.130), pp. 161-70.
Examining both ecclesiastical and societal patriarchies, SNT addresses medieval concepts of power, authority, and autonomy. It places Cecilia's spiritual vision in the context of a broader secular and sacred order.
A defense of Margery Kempe's religious visions, with extended discussions of other medieval devotional and mystical works,including the writings of Julian of Norwich, Richard Rolle,and Margaret Porete as well as devotional prayers recorded in MS…
A. A. MacDonald's objection to reading "woman" for "wo man" in line 847 of MLT is a misunderstanding of a more fundamental problem--that traditional attitudes toward gender may have played a part in separating two letters in a context wherein certain…
"Thy wo and any wo man may sustene" is always printed thus, perhaps because the Ellesmere MS has a virgule between "wo" and "man." Hengwrt does not include a virgule, and a persuasive case can be made for printing "Thy wo, and any woman may…
Though Mary Giffin suggests a connection between SNT and Cardinal Adam Easton, the more important connection is between SNT and the schism in the church during his time. ManT relates thematically to SNT by providing a counter-point to the Second Nun…
