Parlement of Foules

Not to be confused with the 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds.

The Parliament of Birds, an 18th-century oil painting by Karl Wilhelm de Hamilton

The Parlement of Foules (modernized: Parliament of Fowls), also called the Parlement of Briddes (Parliament of Birds) or the Assemble of Foules (Assembly of Fowls), is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340s–1400) made up of approximately 700 lines. The poem, which is in the form of a dream vision in rhyme royal stanza, contains one of the earliest references to the idea that St. Valentine's Day is a special day for lovers.[1]

Oruch's survey of the literature finds no association between Valentine and romance prior to Chaucer. He concludes that Chaucer is likely to be "the original mythmaker in this instance."[2]

  1. ^ Oruch, Jack B. (1981). "St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February". Speculum. 56 (3): 534–565. doi:10.2307/2847741. JSTOR 2847741.
  2. ^ Oruch, Jack B. (1981). "St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February". Speculum. 56 (3): 565. doi:10.2307/2847741. JSTOR 2847741.