Glossator

“Perle plesaunte to princes paye / To clanly clos in golde so clere . . . ” (Pearl, lines 1-2).  Illuminating the paradoxical imperative to enclose and display the beautiful, the opening image of Pearl encodes at once the poem’s formal demand for commentary and its own commentarial poetics. On the one hand, the text’s permutative polysemy, aesthetic density, and continuing allegorical refractions persistently elicit explication in a special, conspicuous way. On the other hand, the literary dream-vision produces itself as a dialectical and interpretive reflection with and upon the Pearl herself, an unfinishable gloss on the mystery of “that specyal spyce” (938) whom the poet works to indicate across an impassible margin. Seeking to elaborate, continue, and expand Pearl’s poetics of radiant enclosure, this volume will offer a collective commentary on the full poem, divided according to its constitutive fitts or sections, which are marked by stanza-linking keywords:

I-Spot *
II-Adubbement *
III-More and More *
IV-Pyght *
V-Jueler *
VI-Deme *
VII-Blysse*
VIII-Courtaysye *
IX-Date *
X-More*
XI-Inoghe *
XII-Ryght*
XIII-Maskeless *
XIV-Jerusalem *
XV-Lesse *
XVI-Mote *
XVII-John *
XVIII-Mone *
XIX-Delyt *
XX-Paye *

The editors of Glossator seek commentarial laborers for each section of this twenty-fold poetic vineyard, to be apportioned on a first-come, first-served basis. Contributions must conform to the journal’s general guidelines for commentary, which are detailed in the About section. Suggested length: 7000 words.  If you are interested in contributing to this volume, please send a brief abstract to the editors at glossatori@gmail.com. The abstract should indicate which fitt you intend to comment on and the overall approach your commentary will take. NB: an asterisk above indicates that that fitt has been reserved. UPDATE: As the chance of simultaneous submissions has increased, please email editors to confirm availability before composing an abstract.

SCHEDULE

15 July 2014: Submissions due to editors
October 2014: Submissions returned to authors with comments
15 January 2015: Final Submission
March 2015: Publication