Gawain-poet, literature of revelation, dream poetry, Pearl, medieval poetry

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Gawain-şairi tarafından yazılan İnci isimli orta çağ rüya şiirindeki rüya gören kişinin/anlatıcının, günahkâr bir mahiyetten ilahi fazilete giden yolundaki ruhani değişimini analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Şiirin başında, matemli anlatıcı muhtemelen kızı olan kaybı ardından kederlidir ve “inci” için yas tutar. Hiçbir şekilde kendini rahatlatamaz ve teselli olarak ilahi iradeye teslim olamaz. Türün tipik bir özelliği olarak anlatıcı incisini kaybettiği bahçede uyuyakalır ve kendini “İnci Bakiresi” ile karşılaştığı bir tasavvurda bulur. Bu kız, kendi incisine benzer ama anlatıcı onun değişmiş olduğunu fark eder. Kız, ona artık Yeni Kudüs’te, Hz. İsa’nın gelinlerinden biri ve kraliçe olarak mutlu bir şekilde yaşadığını ifade eder. Dini bir tartışma yöntemi aracılığıyla, İnci Bakiresi ona ilahi değerleri öğretmeyi ve çok bağlı olduğu dünyevi arzuları bıraktırmayı amaçlar. Bu özel tecrübeden sonra, rüya gören kişi uyanır ve artık ilahi idareye teslim olarak yoğun yasını dindirebilen birine dönüştüğünü fark eder. Bunların ışığında, bu çalışma İnci eserindeki rüya gören kişinin kendini İnci Bakiresi rehberliğinde, dünyevi arzulara karşı olan güçlü meyilinden tamamen ilahi bir yaşam tarzına olan değiştirme şeklini incelemektedir.

Keywords

• Gawain-poet
• literature of revelation
• dream poetry
• Pearl
• medieval poetry

Spiritual transformation through divine teaching in medieval dream poem Pearl

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the spiritual transformation of the Dreamer/Narrator on his way from a sinful nature to divine virtue in medieval dream poem Pearl by the Gawain-poet. At the beginning of the poem, the bereaved dreamer is grieving for the loss of a girl, most probably his daughter and mourns for his lost “pearl”. He cannot comfort himself by any means and fails to surrender to the divine will as a consolation. As a typical aspect of the genre, the dreamer, then, sleeps and finds himself in a vision where he meets the “Pearl Maiden”. The maiden looks like his pearl, yet he notices that she has been transfigured. She marks that she lives blissfully as a queen in the New Jerusalem now as one of the brides of the Lamb. Through a theological argument, the Pearl Maiden intends to teach him divine values and make him abandon his worldly desires to which he is too loyal. After this peculiar experience, the dreamer wakes up and realizes that he is also transformed into a person who can now comfort his intense grieving by submitting himself to heavenly virtues. In this light, the paper examines the way the dreamer in Pearl changes his perspective from a penchant for worldly desires to a total heavenly conduct under the guidance of the Pearl Maiden.

Keywords

• Gawain-poet
• literature of revelation
• dream poetry
• Pearl
• medieval poetry

References

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