He Fond the Schip of Gret Array: Implications of John Gower’s Maritime Vocabulary

Abstract

Abstract: The maritime vocabulary of the London poet, John Gower, provides a link between his artistic creation and its foundation in the vibrant experience of a medieval agent living within a city defi ned by its connection to trade and the sea. A survey of phrases and terms that refer to nautical technology in Gower’s Confessio amantis reveals familiarity with a primarily Anglo-French large-ship tradition while hinting at a possible direct experiential connection with elements of Iberian or Mediterranean trade networks. By contextualizing Gower’s words within the seafaring culture of fourteenth-century London, this article explores the implications of the maritime vocabulary used in Confessio amantis for our understanding of the poet and his audience.

Keywords: John Gower, Confessio amantis, ships, technology, London, maritime culture, Iberian trade, topsail.