
The Temple of Glass
John Lydgate
.The temple of glas.
.The copye of the supplicacion.
.The compleynt of the man.
A sleepless night leads the narrator into a strange, dream‑like vision of a Temple of Glass, a shining structure perched on a craggy rock. The glass walls reflect an uncanny light that seems to pulse with every step, drawing the speaker deeper into the marble‑bright interior. As he moves through the aisles, the space feels both fragile and timeless, a place where the ordinary world slips away.
Within the temple, the walls are covered in vivid frescoes of ancient myths and legendary lovers. Scenes of heroic quests, tragic betrayals, and fleeting romances flash in bright, almost jewel‑like colours, each tableau offering a glimpse of familiar stories told anew. The poet’s voice shifts from reverent description to quiet contemplation, inviting listeners to linger on the emotional resonance of each legend.
The piece blends medieval language with a modern sense of wonder, creating a lyrical journey that feels like wandering through an illuminated manuscript. Listeners will be drawn into the delicate balance of light and shadow, and the timeless humanity that glimmers behind every painted scene.
Language
en
Duration
~56 minutes (54K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jason Isbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
2009-07-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

A Benedictine monk and one of the most prolific English poets of the 15th century, he helped carry Chaucer’s influence into a new generation. His poems and long narrative works were widely read in late medieval England, mixing moral reflection, history, and courtly storytelling.
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