'Routhe' and 'Hert-Hunting' in the 'Book of the Duchess'

Description: The hunt passages in BD involve technical terms that have not been fully understood, e.g., "embosed," "forloyn," and "strake." The literal hunt dissolves to a metaphorical one in which the dreamer seeks the hurt heart. In terms of the narrator's, Alcyon's and the Black Knight's experiences, repetition of "herte," "routhe," and "pitee," and plays on these words are important in developing the theme of the heart hunt. The metaphorical quest concludes with "routhe."