Mervelous Signals: Poetics and Sign Theory in the Middle Ages

by Eugene Vance

The investigation of language, of how (and what and why) signifiers signify, is prominent in modern critical work, but the questions being asked are by no means new. In Mervelous Signals , Eugene Vance asserts that "there is scarcely a term, practice, or concept in contemporary theory that does not have some rich antecedent in medieval thought." He goes on to illustrate the complexity and depth of medieval speculations about language and literature. Vance's study of the link between the poetics and semiotics of the Middle Ages takes both a critical and a historical view as he brings today's insights to bear on the contemporary perspectives of such works as St. Augustine's Confessions , the Chanson de Roland , Chrétien's Yvain, Aucassin and Nicolette , Spenser's The Faerie Queen , and certain aspects of the works of Dante and Chaucer and of French medieval theater.

365 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book that I would have read (or at least completed) if it hadn’t been assigned to me, but I ended up finding aspects of it rather interesting. It deals with the nature of language, particularly philosophies about the interaction between language, truth, and understanding - exploring these issues within the context of medieval literature. Beginning with Augustine, this book examines important authors and works through the time of Spenser, focusing on their debates and theories about the nature of language. Some of the questions it interacts with include:

- Do words have innate meaning or is their meaning entirely based on social convention?
- Are there ethical implications to the words and language style that an author chooses to use?
- Is literary experimentation in language an aid to deeper understanding, or is it a tool of subversion and deceit?
- Does memory and historical consciousness affect a reader’s understanding of truth?
- Can language express everything that can be thought or meant?
- How effective is language as a medium for expressing thoughts to the reader? Can it be fully understood?

Many of these questions were not ones that I had given much thought to before, and I found it interesting to learn about way theories on these issues changed over the course of the middle ages. My main criticism of the book, however, was its overly abstract and convoluted tone. I appreciate the fact that academic works often require technical language in order to interact with complex ideas. This book, however, left me with the feeling that the author was being purposefully obtuse in order to attain a more “ivory tower,” inaccessible style. Which I found to be somewhat ironic in a book on the subject of how language conveys meaning.