16/1/07 - English Literature - John Skelton

Skelton had varied subject matter and style of poetry, often informal. It is difficult to sense consistency, perhaps because he adapted his work to its individual patron.

He placed particular emphasis on the role of the poet. There is a lack of information about Skeltonduring his early years, suggesting he lived a humble, unimportant life. He studied at Cambridge, and had to depend on his wits to earn his keep. He then got into Henry VIII's court as tutor to the young Henry VIII.

"I praye Mayster John Skelton, late created poete laureate in the Unyversite of Oxenforde, to oversee and correcte this sayd booke and t'addresse and expowne where as he shalle be fownde faulte to theym that shal requyre it. For hym I knowe for suffycyent to expowne and anglysshe every dyffyculte that is therein, for he hath late translated the Epsytlys of Tulle, and the Boke of Dyodorus Syculus and diverse other werkes oute of Latyn into Englysshe, bot in rude and olde language but in polysshed and ornate termes craftily, as he that hat redde Vyrgyle, Ovyde, Tullye, and all the other noble poetes and oratours to me unknowen. And also he hath redde the ix muses and understande theyr musicale sciences and to whom of theym eche science is appropred. I suppose he hath drunken of Elcyon's well."
[William Caxton, Preface to The Boke of Eneydos, 1490]

Caxton praises Skelton for knowledge of literary tradition and his fluent and "polished" language.

Skelton became the king's orator, but had previously presented himself as already having that title. His poetry was often used as political propaganda, in order to make his learning useful. He knew what was favourable to the king, and he and the king had equal need of each other - the orator needed the king in order to earn his keep and the king needed the orator to spread good propaganda in his name. Orators were encouraged to portray the voice of reason and order as this was the faculty that God gave to separate men from animals.

...(Disceyte speaks to the narrator)
But by that Lorde that is one, two and thre,
I have an errande to rounde in your ere.
He tolde me so, by God, ye maye truste me.
Parde, remember whan ye were there,
There I wynked on you wote ye not where?
In A loco, I mene juxta B:
Woo is hym that is blynde and maye not see!

But to here the subtylte and the crafte,
As I shall tell yoiu, yf ye wyll harke agayne:
And whan I sawe the horsons wolde you hafte,
To holde myne honde, by GHod, I had grete payne;
For forthwith there I had him slayne,
But that I drede mordre wolde come oute.
Who deleth with shrews hath nede to loke aboute!?

(The narrator's response to Disceyte's speech)
And as he rounded thus in myne ere
Of false collusion contetryd by assente,
Me thought I see lewde felawes here and there
Came for to slee me of mortall entente.
And as they came, the shypborde faste I hente,
And thought to lepe; and even with that woke,
Caught penne and ynke, and wroth this lytell boke ...

[From John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte]

This is Skelton's poem about his dream. Dread shows bewilderment at Deceit's words, as they don't make sense. None of the many narrators are truthful. This emphasises the satire.
Malign equates craft of writing with craft in court, yet Dread believes they are worlds apart.
Dread's position: There is a truth; the poet can convey this; the poet thus educates the people.
But Dread is thus unprepared for the equivocal and paradoxical speeches of the other narrators.
While Dread sets out to write a satire and conspicuously fails to do so, yet he succeeds in putting us in his situation, making us think about what the poem is about. This suggests that true education is obtained by the reader/thinker himself. The problem becomes the solution; the reader becomes the writer.

Thomas Wolsey was ordained in the same year as Skelton.
Skelton became the tutor to the princes, but left for 15 years for Norfolk and returned when Henry VIII became king to usurp the role of jester and propagandist. In comparison, Wolsey's career was meteoric. Skelton wrote three satires about him, including Speak Parrot, all with different narration techniques.

My name ys Parott, a byrde of Paradyse,
By Nature devysed of a wonderowus kynde,
Deyntely dyetyd with dyvers delycate spyce,
Tyll Eufrates, that flodde, dryvythe me into Ynde,
Where men of that conre by fortune me fynde,
And send me togreate ladyes of estate;
Then Parot moste have an almon or a date.

A cage curyowsly carven, with sylver pynne,
Properly payntyd to be my coverture;
A myrrour of glasse, that I may tote therein;
These maydens full meryly with many a dyvers flowur
Fresshely they dresse and make swete my bowur,
With 'Speke, Parott, I pray yow,' full cueteslye they sey,
'Parott ys a goodlye byrde and a pratye popagay.'

Wyuthe my beke bente, and my lytell wanton iye,
My fethrys fresshe as ys the emerawde grene,
Abowte my necke a cerculett lyke the ryche rubye,
My lytell legges, my fete bothe fete and clene,
I am a mynyon to wait apon a queen;
'My propyr Parott, my lytell pratye fole.'
With ladyes I lerne and goe with them to scole.

[From Speke Parrot, II. 1-21.]

Wolsey is portrayed inhibiting the narrator's ability to speak. Speke Parrot is a juxtaposition of ridiculousness and authority.

Wolsey seemed to delay negotiations with the takeover of European countries, which led to war with France and an increase in taxes. Wolsey took the king's symbol to France, which held the king's power and so left him helpless to rule legislature; Wolsey became for Skelton the image of immoderate ambition.

In the poem, the Parrot picks up fragments of speech. There is a reason behind this. Reason and wit have been usurped by the Province, and so they are paralysed. The second stanzas read as proverbs of the time. Moloc - antichrist - Wolsey (king's enemy). Melchisedec - Christ - King Henry VIII. Riddles and cryptic hidden meanings are buried in the poems to protect them from discovery by Wolsey.

In the poems Skelton's interest in the ways in which a poet can speak is clear. He writes a satire on the type of communication taught in schools, which was a focus on rhetoric rather than subject matter. This is another reason for the fragmentary structure of many of his poems. In Speke Parrot, the Parrot is accused of wilful obscurity, ironically proving the Parrot's point that that people are wrongfully taught only to look on the surface. Does Skelton teach possible stances taken in the poem?

A later poem of Skelton's is dedicated to Wolsey, suggesting that Wolsey became his patron in order to bring Skelton onto his side, not that Skelton was unprincipled.

Skelton finally says in A Replycacion that poets are divinely inspired. This seems like an extreme contradiction, but could be explained by changes in court. The autonomy of the poet is emphasised. Skelton seems to have obsessively needed to justify the poet and to find readers who appreciate his work and share his view.