April 11 | CfP – “Whan that Aprill Day”

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote………

The Pearl Kibre Medieval Study and the Medieval Studies Certificate Program at the Graduate Center CUNY cordially invite lovers of extinct and ancient languages to the “Whan that Aprill Day” celebration of 2018! This celebration is based on similar events organized by scholars, academics, and lovers of old languages and literatures around the world. Originally centered on a day of reflection on the Middle English of Chaucer’s seminal Canterbury Tales, it now has expanded to include a myriad of ancient and medieval languages in a day of recitation and performance. Recent contributions at the GC have included Arabic, Occitan, Old English and Homeric Greek recitations. This year we invite all philologists (literally, friends of the word) and lovers of languages to consider participating in the 2018 “Whan that Aprill Day”. This year the celebration will have a theme: the poet at work. As can often be devised in many medieval poems, the poet as figure and specific role was slowly evolving and many poets often commented on their profession and technical processes. In such diverse poetic schools as the Provençal troubadours, the anonymous Old English poets, Dante, Machaut and even Chaucer, the poet often inserts him or her-self into the work. Poems where the poet declares his/her presence, poems commenting on poetic technique, and poems that meditate on poetry itself are welcome, as well as any others that circulate around this topic. Each participant will introduce briefly (time, author, background and other pertinent information regarding the poem chosen) and recite a poem in an ancient or medieval language of their choice. If you would like to participate, please send an email to prodriguez@gradcenter.cuny.edu with your name, selected poem with translation as well as a brief introduction of the work by April 1st. The celebration is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2018 from 4-6pm.

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