"Ruthless rhymes" : patriotism and propaganda in historical poetry of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries

The purpose of this study is to examine the way historical events are treated in the poems in Rossell Hope Robbins' Historical Poems of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. This examination focuses on the poets's distortion of historical incidents as seen when we compare events to the way they are described in these poems. In this way we may observe not only which incidents inspired poets most but also the methods minstrels used to appeal to their audiences or to circulate propaganda for political factions.

Four major periods are treated in this study: the Scottish War of Independence, the Hundred Years War, the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and the Wars of the Roses. It is in this last historical period that propaganda becomes most dominant in poetry.

Examining the poets' distortion of historical incidents, we may see the conflict between purpose and artistry inherent in this type of poetry. In their totally biased viewpoint, manipulation of historical subjects, and unwavering consciousness of the audiences and their reactions, these poets produce verses that are lacking in objectivity. They gloss their treatment of events and thus render their work merely expressions of patriotism or propaganda, without fidelity to details and with no effort to colorfully recreate incidents.