s0225t-Guillaume de MACHAUT, sometimes Machault, born 1300-4/1377 in Rheims, Ardennes, France,
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Image is a French miniature of the fourteenth century, an allegorical scene in which Nature offers Machaut three of her children; Sense, Rhetoric, and Music."
Was an important Medieval French poet and composer. He is one of the earliest composers for whom significant biographical information is available, poetry was greatly admired and imitated by other poets, celebrated composer of the 14th century, works were secular in nature, and lyrics almost always dealt with courtly love, his sacred, Mass can be said, consistent, and the chosen chants are all celebrations of the mother Mary, lyric output comprises around 400 poems, including 235 ballades, 76 rondeaux, 39 virelais, 24 lais, 10 complaintes, and 7 chansons royales, was a composer, one of last great poets who was also a composer,
works;
Le Remède de Fortune (The Cure of Ill Fortune) (c. 1340s, before 1357) – The narrator is asked by his lady if the poem she has found is by him; the narrator flees from her and comes to a garden where "Hope" consoles him and teaches him how to be a good lover; he returns to his lady.
Jugement du roy de Behainge (Judgement of the King of Bohemia) (before 1346) – The narrator hears a debate between a lady (whose lover is dead) and a knight (betrayed by his lady); in order to proclaim one or the other the most unhappy, the narrator seeks out the advice of the King of Bohemia who consults allegories, and the unhappy knight is declared the winner.
Dit du Lyon (Story of the Lion) (1342) – The narrator comes to a magical island and a lion guides him to a beautiful lady; an old knight comes to the narrator and reveals the meaning of what he sees and gives him advice for being a better lover.
Dit de l'Alérion aka Dit des Quatre Oiseaux (Story of the 4 Birds) (before 1349) – A symbolic tale of love: the narrator raises four different birds, but each one flees him; one day the first (and preferred) bird comes back to him.
Jugement du roy de Navarre (Judgement of the King of Navarre) (1349) – Following up on the Jugement du roy de Behainge, a lady blames the narrator for awarding the prize to the knight: the King of Navarre is consulted and condemns the poet.
Confort d'ami (1357) - Dedicated to Charles II of Navarre (who was a prisoner in France), this poetic consolation gives biblical and classical examples (exempla) of fortitude.
Dit de la Fontaine amoureuse aka Livre de Morpheus (Story of the Amorous Fountain) (1361) – The narrator meets a hopeless lover who must separate from his lady; the two men come to a magical fountain and fall asleep, and in a dream the lady consoles her lover.
Le Voir Dit (A True Story) (c. 1362-5) – Often seen as Machaut's masterpiece, this poem (sometimes seen as autobiographical) tells of the sadness and separation of the lover from his lady and of the false rumors that are spread about him. The narrative is stuffed with prose letters and lyric poems exchanged by the unhappy lovers.
Prologue (c. 1372) – written at the end of his life (and intended as a preface to his collected works), this allegory describes Machaut's principles of poetry, music and rhetoric.
Prise d'Alexandrie (The Capture of Alexandria) (after 1369) – poetic retelling of the exploits of Peter of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem and of Cyprus.