What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
Alexandria is a city in Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great. The Knight was perhaps a member of the Knights Hospitaller, who besieged Alexandria along with the Cypriots in 1365. Or maybe he just picked a bad time to go sightseeing.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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A famous historical pub in Southwark. Sadly it’s not there any more – it was burnt down in 1669, then rebuilt, then demolished in 1873 – but there’s a helpful little plaque to tell you where it was:
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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Southwark, in London. In Chaucer’s time this would have been a separate town from London itself, just a quick walk over the Thames, with an important market and a few good pubs where you could drink ale and tell long stories in pentametric couplets.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
Since the siege and war at Troy came to an end,
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem set in England, about Arthurian legend. So how come it’s starting with a reference to Troy?
The reason is that Arthurian legend kicks off with the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth, a 12th century monk who wrote a dodgy but at the time widely-believed history of England. In Monmouth’s account, the first English monarch was a Trojan guy named Brutus, who sailed over after the Fall of Troy and killed all the giants who were living in England, setting himself up as the first English (human) ruler. Arthur (who, for the record, was also made up by Geoffrey) was one of his descendants.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book was massively influential, and contained an early version of the story of King Lear.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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The ninth track on the Streets' concept album *A Grand Don’t Come for Free, “What is He Thinking” tells the story of how Mike finds out that Simone’s been cheating on him.
Robert Christgau described this track as “Dodgy plotting–obscure bit with Simone’s coat leads to sad ending with a twist.” The long and short of it is that Dan was over at Simone’s place doing the dirty, had to go to Scott’s house afterwards, but borrowed Mike’s coat off Simone because it was raining, then left it at Scott’s house (presumably it stopped raining while he was there). Complicated, right.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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“Ich am of Irlaunde” is a medieval burden or refrain, probably composed some time in the 14th century. It’s written in Middle English, which means that it retains the Old English word for ‘I’, “Ich” (pronounced as though you have something stuck in your throat).
The Ireland of medieval times was different to the Ireland of today: for one thing, it was all one country (known as Gaelic Ireland) and hadn’t yet been conquered by the Brits, torn apart by civil unrest and reunited on the rugby pitch. Because the primary language in 14th century Ireland was Irish Gaelic, it’s difficult to tell whether or not this poem was actually written by an Irish person.
What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
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