Charles, duc d’Orléans

Historical Background

-Charles was born Nov. 24, 1394, in Paris, of noble birth. His father was Louis, duc d’Orleans (brother of Charles VI). His son, who was born in 1462, was to become King Louis XII.

-He spent 25 years in exile in England, due to his capture during Henry V’s invasion of France in 1415. During this time, he pursued his literary interests, and wrote more than 6,000 lines in English. The result was a work that consists of two love-histories linked by a miscellany.

-After his release in 1440, Charles returned to France where he married his second wife, Mary of Cleves, and settled down in Blois, out of the public eye. However, he retained contact with many literary figures of the time, including: François Villon, Georges Chastellain, and Jean Meschinot.

-The poet and duke died on Jan. 4, 1465, in Amboise.

Charles and L’amour courtois

Charles’s relation to l’amour courtois is undeniable, but complex. By the prince of poet’s time, the attacks of the courtly love tradition were beginning to have an effect. As John Fox explains in The Background to the Poetry of Charles d’Orléans:

These developments, the beginning of which can de traced back at least to the time of Jean de Meun in the later thirteenth century, gathered momentum in Charles’s later years, and were furthered by the rapid changes in economic conditions and in the structure of society (44).

Because of this, Charles d’Orléans was writing in the twilight of the old order of courtly love, but he was also influenced by the increasing “preoccupation with human nature and the realities of life. This is not in itself humansism but it is a move in that direction and it reveals in effect how old dreams and illusions were fading” (48, Fox). Another indication of a disillusionment of sorts is the poet’s obsession with themes such as “merencolye”, “tristesse”, and “exile.”

Poems

1) “En la forest d'Ennuyeuse Tristesse” / octo-syllabic ballade (including refrain)

Here we have the “l’amoureuse déesse,” (3) whom he still addresses as “souveraine princesse” (17), an indication of the lingering courtly love tradition which places the lover in the position of vassal. Lady Love offers to help him out of the melancolic forest of his exile where “Fortune” has placed him, but she shows displeasure in his wandering hopelessness (15), which is shown in the recurring line which speaks of the lover as “L'omme esgaré qui ne scet où il va.”

2) “En la forest de Longue Actente” / octo-syllabic ballade (plus refrain)

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3) “En regardant vers le pays de France” / ballade, decasyllabic w/ 7 lines (including refrain)

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Along with the two “forest” poems, this poems elaborates on the theme of exile, which is prevalent throughout Charles’s poetry for very understandable reasons.

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4) “Escollier de Merencolye” / octo-syllabic ballade (including refrain)

In this ballade, the lover complains about the poor treatment he has been suffering, having “Merencolye” as a schoolmaster. A key word in Charles’ poetry that appears in this poem is “Nonchaloir,” another manifestation of melancolia.

5) “Assourdy de Non Chaloir” / rondel

This rondel describes how the “non-chaloir” of melancolia dulls the senses: sight, sound, and taste all suffer, putting the lover in a trance-like state of depressed spirits. The only sure cure for this disease is “espoir” (9).

6) “Quand j’ai ouï le tabourin” / rondel

“Non-chaloir” also makes an appearance in this little poem: “jeunes gens partent leur butin / de Nonchaloir m’acointeray” (9-10). That is, while the world is busy profitting from the spolis of love during the season of love, the disgruntled lover here turns over and goes back to sleep.

7) “Le temps a laissé son manteau” / rondel

This rondel also speaks of the season of love, a ubiquitious theme in courtly love literature. Of all seven poems discussed here, this is the only one than indulges in a sunny mood. It is a beautiful little tribute to the change from blustery to balmy weather. Not only does the weather leave its coat behind for the day, but “chascun s’abille de nouveau” (12).