Guillaume de Lorris

Guillaume de Lorris (c. 1205, probably in Lorris -en- Gâtinais; † after 1240) was a French poet.

Life and work

The as a person totally unknown Guillaume is considered the author of a 4068 verses scoring novel fragment, which he began a predominantly courtly audience around 1230 and has been supplied around 1280 by Jean de Meung one end: the so-called Roman de la Rose (French Le Roman de la Rose ).

Guillaume's particular achievement was to have three elements connected together skillfully, the present but little familiar were in the literature of the time: the shape of the first-person narrative, the use of allegorical figures as persons acting and the presentation of an entire novel's action in the form a dream report. Testifies to the championship Guillaume also its so sensitive and vivid depiction of the psychology of falling in love.

Apparently Guillaume was also the inventor of the allegorical figure of Danger ( from Medieval-. Domniarium " domination, domination Claim"). This fiend who embodies everything the lovers, especially the loving husband, the fulfillment of their desires more difficult than 200 years was then across an extremely popular figure in French literature, especially poetry.

The Roman de la Rose, who describes the search of a lover after the rose as the symbol of the beloved, has been very successful after its continuation and completion by Jean de Meung and has greatly influenced French literature until the 16th century.