Troubadors Paper Essay Example for Free

Troubadors Paper Essay It is unlikely, in this day and age, that one could be privy to likes of troubadours, as recounted in the works of Jaufre Rudel and   Bernart de Ventadorn.   Their works, A Love Afar and The Skylark, are similar in that they both speak of a love that for one reason or another has been unreachable to them.   Rudel, in A Love Afar, is pining for a woman he has never met, nor even seen, but has an attraction for based on the information he has been given by other pilgrims. â€Å"My pilgrim’s staff and cloak might shine.†Ã‚   Rudel professes to worship this love from afar, â€Å"They call to mind my love afar.†Ã‚   His work follows the path of courtly love, which is typical of the medieval era.   Rudel declares his devotion to his love, â€Å"Gladly I’d lie at her command, a captive in a Moorish land.†Ã‚   Also typical of medieval courting, Rudel speaks of physical manifestations of the love that he seeks afar, â€Å"My curse fall on that godsire’s heart, who’s cursed me so my love runs ill.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tenor of Bernart de Ventadorn’s work, The Skylark, lacks the hope that is present in Rudel’s writing.   The Skylark, is the writing of a man who is daunted by the love that he has lost.   â€Å"Alas, I thought I’d grown so wise; in love I had so much to learn:   I can’t control this heart that flies to here who pays no love return.†Ã‚   Where Rudel felt that he had been blessed by love, even promised love by God, Ventadorn has been cursed by a love that has stolen the very life from him.   â€Å"Losing control, I’ve lost all right to rule my life†¦deep in despair.†Ã‚   Ventadorn presents no benefit from the love he seeks or sought, whereas Rudel sees benefit even if he should die in the end.   Ventadorn has been scorned by love.   â€Å"I’ll place no trust in women though I did before; I’ve been there champion so it’s just that I renounce them everm ore.† Rudel has found such promise in love. â€Å"That man speaks true who’d say I burn for naught else but my love afar; now for no other end I yearn, only to know my love afar.   Ventadorn, however, has lost all faith in women, love, and music.   â€Å"Ay! Now I fall in deep disgrace,   a fool upon love’s bridge am I; No one know how that could take place, unless I dared to climb too high. Ventadorn places women on a pedestal, but perhaps realized he had done so unjustly.   Ventadorn’s writing also suggests an adulterous nature, â€Å"Wrongful it seems, now, in my view, to see a creature love’s betrayed, who’d seek no other good but you, then let him die without your aid.†Ã‚   Ventadorn is so distraught that he swears off his writing and music.   â€Å"Tristan you’ll hear no more from me:   I leave to wander, none knows where; henceforth all joys in love I’ll flee and all my songs I now forswear.† Courtship during the medieval era was considered to be an art form.   Both of these writings bring to mind the image of the Knight on a white horse, that sweeps his lady off her feet.   Both pieces tell of love that is challenged by a geographical distance and love that is ultimately fated to die.   Both pieces are ideal examples of noble chivalry that was present in the courting present in the medieval era.  Ã‚   Both pieces place the woman in a superior level to themselves. The image created by Rudel is one of passion, with no price to high, in order to reach his love.   It is almost as though you can see him traveling by boat, â€Å"Such tracks and trails, such land and sea.†Ã‚   One can almost see him battling his way to his love.   Ventadorn paints an image of a man who is angered and retreats to his destination, which is to be alone, as demonstrated, â€Å"I say no more; I silent go; She gives me death; let death reply.   My Lady won’t embrace me so I leave, exiled to pain for aye.† Rudel speaks of his love as a lady, while Ventadorn speaks of his love as a Lady while expressing his love, but then reverts to women when expressing his anger and despair.   Troubadors admired ladies, but feared women.   Ladies were to be treasured, something to desire, while women were almost considered evil.   Both writers seem to appeal to their loves as a method of furthering themselves and their current status.