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This book examines the rise of an influential new family of poetry in the late Middle Ages, analyzing why the allegorical first-person romance embedded itself in the vernacular literature of Western Europe and remained popular for more than two centuries.

Combining an accessible approach with innovative scholarship, Carl Phelpstead draws on historical context, contemporary theory, and close reading to deepen our understanding of Icelandic saga narratives about the island’s early history.

In a daring rewrite of literary history, this volume argues that the medieval poet and musician Guillaume de Machaut was the major influence in narrative craft during the late Middle Ages and long after.