The Chaucer Review: An Indexed Bibliography (Vols. 1-30)

Blyth, Charles. "Virgilian Tragedy and Troilus." 24 (1990): 211-18.
Troilus and Criseyde may be defined as a Virgilian tragedy placed between recorded history and the emotional response such a tragedy evokes. Gavin Douglas's translation of the Aeneid demonstrates his recognition of this position in that he alludes both to Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde and to Henryson's Testament of Cresseid in his wording and by his use of rhyme royal. Virgil refers to tragedies in both the books about the fall of Troy and tragedy of Dido. To view these passages as tragic, however, readers must view them in retrospect.

Di Cesare, Mario A. "Cristoforo Landino on the Name and the Nature of Poetry: The Critic as Hero." 21 (1986): 155-81.
Disputationes Camaldulenses is Cristoforo Landino's primary work. The work is divided into four books. Each book discusses a different topic: 1) the active and contemplative lives, 2) the ultimate good, 3) the Aeneid books I-IV, and 4) the Aeneid books IV-VI. Contrary to scholarly opinion, Disputationes Camaldulenses is not primarily a philosophical work, but a careful consideration of poetry that puts forth the view of the poet as hero. Landino chooses Alberti for his primary figure because Alberti modeled a balance between activity and contemplation and because "he . . . unites all the artists in himself" (163). Alberti thus becomes the poet-hero. In his work, Landino achieves harmony between Christian, Platonic, and Humanistic thought. For Landino, critic and poet are closely connected; both are active and contemplative figures. The poet is, however, of a higher order than the critic. In Disputationes Camaldulenses, poetry not only contains and supersedes all arts, it becomes "the way of knowing" (176).

Gaylord, Alan T. "Dido at Hunt, Chaucer at Work." 17 (1983): 300-15.
Examination of three treatments of the Dido story illuminates the linguistic differences between the three. The Latin version is dexterously poetic. In the Old French version, there is no easily recognizable speaking voice. Chaucer's decision to write ten-syllable lines departs from French norms to follow a less restricted Italian pattern, and he regains some of the vigor of the Latin version that the French lost.

Sanderlin, George. "Chaucer's Legend of Dido--A Feminist Exemplum." 20 (1986): 331-40.
Chaucer alters Virgil's story of Dido and Aneas to show Dido as an honorable woman betrayed by a false man. Perusal of Chaucer's Legend of Dido shows Chaucer writing about women from a feminist perspective. In his version of this story, Chaucer does not develop the love of either Dido or Aneas. Dido falls in love after seeing Aneas twice; after a little time, Aneas is bored with Dido. Dido's resulting suicide becomes her attempt to "regain her self-respect after her tragic error in judgment" (337).

Sanderlin, George. "Two Transfigurations: Gawain and Aeneas." 12 (1978): 255-58.
When the Pearl-Poet describes Gawain's face as "ver," he alludes to Aeneas's transformation before his rendezvous with Dido.