Thomas Hoccleve, The Dialogue With A Friend

Raymond Cummings (Dominican College Fortwilliam, Belfast)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1420

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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The

Dialogue with a Friend

proceeds from the conclusion of Hoccleve’s

Complaint

. It establishes a scenario in which the writer of the

Complaint

has just completed this first poem of the

Series

when he is visited by one of his oldest and dearest friends (“my good friend / of fern agoon”). The character of the poet, who remains the narrative persona through the course of the

Dialogue

, reads the

Complaint

(“my conpleynte”) to the anonymous Friend. What immediately follows is a series of arguments through which the Friend attempts to dissuade the character of “Thomas” from revealing the

Complaint

to the community around them:

“[…]Hast thow made maad this conpleynte foorth to goAmong the peple?” / “Yee, freend, so I mente,What elles?” / “Nay, Thomas, waar / do nat

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988 words

Citation: Cummings, Raymond. "The Dialogue With A Friend". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1067, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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Thomas Hoccleve, The Dialogue With A Friend

Dates

Places

Genres and Modes

Resources

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