author
John Lydgate
A Benedictine monk from Suffolk became one of the most prolific English poets of the 15th century, producing a vast body of moral, devotional, and historical verse. Writing in the generation after Chaucer, he helped carry Middle English poetry forward for new readers and patrons.
2 Audiobooks
The Temple of Glass
by John Lydgate
The Disguising at Hertford
by John Lydgate
About the author
Born around 1370 in Lidgate, Suffolk, John Lydgate entered the Benedictine abbey at Bury St Edmunds while still young and spent most of his life as a monk. He was ordained a priest in 1397, and although he remained closely tied to the abbey, sources note that he also spent time in places including London, Paris, and Hatfield.
Lydgate was admired in his own time as a major poet writing after Geoffrey Chaucer, whose influence he openly acknowledged. His output was enormous, running to well over 100,000 lines, and he became known for long works that were moral, devotional, historical, and literary. Among the works most often associated with him are Troy Book, The Siege of Thebes, and The Fall of Princes.
For modern readers, Lydgate is an important bridge between Chaucer and later English literary culture. His writing shows how widely English verse could be used in the 15th century: for storytelling, religious reflection, public ceremony, and advice on conduct. Even when tastes changed after his lifetime, his scale, ambition, and influence kept his name firmly in the history of medieval literature.