Anelida and Arcite (hereafter Anelida), if it is considered at all by Chaucer scholars, is often considered to be one of his most problematic and unusual works: structurally and formally incoherent, critically neglected or criticised, and ultimately left unfinished by its author. Anelida purports to tell an epic, male narrative, invoking the gods and the Muses of epic poetry, but the majority of this short poem is in fact devoted to the complaint of Anelida upon her woeful treatment by the false Arcite. The poem follows the structure of an Invocation (ll. 1-21), Story (ll. 22-210), Complaint (ll. 211-350), and a return to the Story (ll. 351-57). Anelida’s complaint can further be divided into the Proem (ll. 211-19), Strophe (ll. 220-80), Antistrophe (ll. 281-341), and
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Citation: Menmuir, Rebecca. "Anelida and Arcite". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 June 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6663, accessed 24 November 2024.]
