A Lover's Prize | Beatrice,Countess of Dia

BEATRICE , COUNTESS OF DIA

Ca.1150 - 1200

A Lover’s Prize

The poem stars with poet’s  distress about the Knight she desires.She wants her excessive love to be known forever.The she continues with the betrayal of the Knight and her regret being naked *maybe both physically and sentimentally*  towards to him.Knight  complains lack of her affection.In the second stanza poet describes how they embrace each other at night.Then there is a referance from well-known romance;  poet mentions about Floris and –probably- her lover- Blanchefleur,she compares their relationship with her and knight’s.She also says how she gave her body,her heart,her life,her everything.In the last stanza she praises the Knight by telling how fair,gentle and gracious he was,how she sees him as a prize.Poet finishes with a condition, if he promises to do all she’d want to do, her longing will continue and she will accept him as her husband.*he will take her husbands place*The poet basically trying to describe any lover’s prize , which is his/her partner.Contrast to this, the poem stars with not a prize yet with something that can destory the relationship ; betrayal.

Reason why I choose this poem is ; it’s content. So accurate about lovers and betrayal.Poet just express her feelings trough this poem .And the fact that poet being  a woman amazed me when compared to it’s time.The problem seems an individual’s but its actually a common problem among lovers.