Dante's 'Astripetam Aquilam' and the Theme of Poetic Discretion in the 'House of Fame'
- Author / Editor
- Simpson, James.
Dante's 'Astripetam Aquilam' and the Theme of Poetic Discretion in the 'House of Fame'
- Published
- Essays and Studies 39 (1986): 1-18.
- Description
- The eagle in HF, pt. 2, with its immediate source in Dante's "Purgatorio," also parallels a passage in the "De vulgari eloquentia" (2.4) that cautions poets not to follow the "astripetam aquilam" ("star-seeking eagle"). The eagle is a parody of the dream guide whose overblown eloquence illustrates the theme of poetic discretion in the work. Unlike his, Geffrey's art is "founded upon an assured knowledge of both personal and artistic limitations."
- Chaucer Subjects
- House of Fame.