It is easy to find works on the pastoral elegy, but does anyone know of a
good literary-historical treatment of pastoral love poetry?
I am beginning a dissertation on English pastoral, in which Spenser will
play a major role. Lately, I have taken an interest in the conventions of
the pastoral love complaint, which descends, as I understand "love
complaint," from Theocritus' idylls 3 and 11 and Virgil's eclogue 2. In
Thrall and Hibbard's literary handbook, Thomas Perrin Harrison, Jr., says
that Theocritus perfected the form in which a
"single shepherd pictures in song his mistress' charms and laments his own
hard case. In its earliest form, the singer directly apostrophizes the
mistress. Later, the poet first describes the scene and the singer, whose
song is separate and, sometimes, incidental to the whole piece."
Here is some of the story. Does anyone know of a fuller treatment,
something that breaks down the conventions, explains how courtly love crept
into pastoral, discusses medieval variants, etc? I may be overlooking
something obvious (is it in Greg? Not Alpers, Rosenmeyer, or Poggioli, I
think).
Many thanks for any assistance. This is my first time to join a list. I
hope that the question is in bounds. Best, Kevin Matthews
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