"The Roman de la Rose, or Romance of the Rose tells a lengthy tale of a wistful young lover who tries to win his lady's love and prove his worthiness at the same time whilst being sad about it a lot. [...] There are a few beautifully illuminated manuscripts which show the hapless lover attempting to overcome obstacles to get to the object of his affection. He first needs to get past a number of virtues and vices personified who either attempt to help or hinder him. [...] The final scene has our hero describing an amazing array of euphemisms for deflowering a virgin. The Lover reaches the tower, but the gate is closed and needs him to push his key in the lock. The entry is too narrow. Images sometimes show twin towers with a very narrow door between them which suggest the legs of a lady and her opening between. Early on in the story, we see that Nature had given the Lover a staff which he polished in the hope of using it shortly."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Rosalie Gilbert, The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women (2020)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roman_de_la_Rose
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Roman de la Rose
' (The Romance of the Rose) is a medieval poem written in and presented as an allegorical dream vision. It was written in two stages by two authors: Guillaume de Lorris composed the first part (4,058 verses) around 1230, and Jean de Meun composed the second part (17,722 additional verses) around 1275.
20 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Roman de la Rose →
Related Quotes
"Maintes genz dient que en songes N'a se fables non e mençonges; Mais l'en puet teus songes songier Qui ne sont mie me…"
"Ou vintieme an de mon aage, Ou point qu'Amors prent le paage Des juenes genz, couchiez m'estoie Une nuit, si con je s…"
"Li Tens qui s'en vait nuir e jor, Senz repos prendre e senz sejor, E qui de nos se part e emble Si celeement qu'il no…"
"Entre ces boutons en eslui Un si trés bel qu'envers celui Nul des autres rien ne prisai, Puis que je l'oi bien avisé,…"
"Li deus d'Amors lors m'encharja, Tot ensi con vos orroiz ja, Mot a mot ses comandemenz: Bien les devise cist romanz. …"
"Grands biens ne vient pas en poi d'ore; II y con vient poine et demore."
"Grant joie en ton cuer demenras De la biauté que tu verras; Et saches que du regarder Feras ton cuer frire et larder,…"
"Lors feras chatiaus en Espaigne."
"Et plus en gré sont recéu Li biens dont l'en a mal éu."
"Si con j'oi la rose apressiee, Un poi la trovai engroissiee, E vi qu'ele estoit puis creüe Que je ne l'oi de près veü…"