Tracing Intertexts - (II)

In this video, Vahni Capildeo traces the intertextual relationship between the contemporary poetry of Caroline Bergvall and the Middle English poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer. Find out how these poets are linked by books, the colour red, and stockings…

You may like to read this interview with Caroline Bergvall in which she talks about her collection Alisoun Sings. Interview with Caroline Bergvall on Alisoun Sings – Poetry Foundation website.

You can also read an ‘interlinear’ translation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath – Prologue and Tale here. An ‘interlinear’ translation is a translation which displays the original language, in this case Middle English, alongside an English translation. Wife of Bath – Prologue and Tale – An Interlinear Translation – the Geoffrey Chaucer page.

What do you think about an intertextual relationship between a very old work, and a very new work? Let us know in the comments below.