User:Kryssyo/sandbox

Wikipedia's Chevrefoil article for ENGL2111

This is Krystyna Owings' Sandbox.

Analysis of Article

After reading the Wikipedia article about Chevrefoil, I feel there are two points that are lacking. One is that the opening paragraph does not give enough information as to where the lays are located and that Chevrefoil is summarized. Secondly, I do not feel there is enough information regarding the symbolism behind the relationship of the hazel and the honeysuckle.

I have decided to revise the opening paragraph to add the information from point one. I have also decided to create an original paragraph that discusses the symbolism of the hazel and the honeysuckle.

Reading List

• Wilhelm, William J. (1994). The Romance of Arthur.

• Detailed record for Harley 978.

• Whalen, Logan E. (2011). A Companion to Marie de France.

• Reed, Thomas L. (1995). Glossing the Hazel: Authority, Intention, and Interpretation in Marie de France's Tristan, “Chievrefoil”

Revised opening paragraph from Chevrefoil

Original

"Chevrefoil" is a Breton lai by the medieval poet Marie de France. The eleventh poem in the collection called The Lais of Marie de France, its subject is an episode from the romance of Tristan and Iseult. The title means "honeysuckle," a symbol of love in the poem. "Chevrefoil" consists of 118 lines and survives in two manuscripts, Harley 978 or MS H, which contains all the Lais, and in Bibliothèque Nationale, nouv. acq. fr. 1104, or MS S.

Revised

"Chevrefoil" is a Breton lai most likely written by the medieval poet Marie de France. It is also know as "The Lay of Cheivrefueil" or "The Honeysuckle." It is the eleventh poem in a collection of twelve called The Lais of Marie de France. Of the twelve lays, "Chevrefoil" is the shortest with only eight verses and 118 lines. It survives in two manuscripts, Harley 978 or MS H, which contains all the Lais, in the British Library in London, England and in Bibliothèque Nationale, nouv. acq. fr. 1104, or MS S in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, France. It is a summarization of the story of Tristen and Iseult (Isolde) and was done with the knowledge that the audience was already familiar with the story. Marie de France's use of these well known characters is meant to give legitimacy to the story and secure an audience.[1][2]

Original Contribution

Symbolism

The most obvious use of symbolism in Chevrefoil is that of the hazel and the honeysuckle being likened to the love of Tristan and Iseult. In the fifth verse, Marie de France says,

For he could not live without her.
It was exactly the same with the two of them
As it was with the honeysuckle
That has attached itself to the hazel tree:
When it has so entwined itself and taken hold
And completely surrounded the trunk,
Together they can survive quite well;
But if someone tries to sever them,
The hazel tree quickly dies,
And the honeysuckle as well.

This metaphor implies that Tristan and Isolde need each other's love desperately, like the honeysuckle needs the hazel to survive. If they are severed, both will die. But there is danger in both staying together and being apart. Their judgment is clouded; in fact, honeysuckle was used medicinally during medieval times to cure cloudy vision. It should also be noted that hazel are rather small, while honeysuckle grow at an alarming rate. This growth would very quickly suffocate the hazel and kill it. Marie de France's use of the hazel and the honeysuckle, reference the relationship of Tristan and Isolde as parasitic and deadly.[3][4]

Notes

This code lists and numbers all your references at the bottom of your sandbox page.