“Are you really my Pearl, whose passing I mourn,
and grieve for alone through lonely nights?”
From tragedy to bliss
‘Pearl’ was written in the late 14th century. One of the great surviving masterpieces of English Medieval Literature, this poem turns tragedy into bliss, as the grief stricken narrator works through a complexity of feelings around the death of his young child. It is a Christian perspective on the afterlife, but nevertheless holds much spiritual depth.
Spiritual journey
‘Pearl’ expresses exquisite sorrow. It is a beautiful dream vision, using alliteration as a means of taking the reader on a journey of wonder and marvel. A heartfelt poem, borne of grief, the author describes his little girl as a pearl. It is not her true name, but represents her virtues, as perceived by her father. Pearl symbolises his daughter’s perfection at death. She is the purest and most precious gem he ever beheld, and ‘lived not two years in our land’.
Immortal soul
A pearl also symbolises the Immortal Soul and the Heavenly City. By giving her this name, the poet is telling us that, although his little girl has died, her soul lives on in Heaven. Even though he has lost his precious gem, he understands that somewhere her light is still shining brightly.
A wondrous quest
Lying down by his daughter’s graveside the poet falls into a deep slumber. Yearning to be close to her once more, he enters a wondrous dream state.
‘Fro spot my spyryt ther sprang in space; my body on balke ther bod in sweven. My gost is gon in Godes grace, in aventure ther mervayles meven.’
(‘From that place my spirit sprang into space; my body remained there dreaming on the grave-mound. By the grace of God my soul set forth on a quest to where wonders happen.’)
Heavenly landscape
He dreams that he is in another world, a world of crystal cliffs, bright woods and strands pebbled with precious stones. It is a magical beginning to the narrative. The poet’s heart is filled with joy as he walks through the heavenly landscape. He begins to forget his mortal sadness.
‘The dubbement dere of doun and dales, of wod and water wlonk playnes.
Bylde in me blys, abated my bales, forbidden my stresse, dystryed my paynes’
(‘The splendid adornment of hill and dale, of woods and stream and lovely meadows increased my joy, lessened my grief, removed my anguish, destroyed my sorrow’)
Pearl
After a little while he perceives his daughter in the distance. She is sitting at the foot of a crystal cliff, her white mantle gleaming. It shines ‘as brightest gold’. The narrator is temporarily stunned and bewildered at Pearl’s ethereal beauty. He is so close to her now. He becomes scared that she might disappear before he can reach her.
No longer limited by temporal understanding, the poet describes his daughter in her true spiritual magnificence. She has become otherworldly, a ‘precious being adorned with pearls’. Her perceives the maturity of her soul, rather than the child he once knew. Despite changes in her outward appearance, he recognises her as the beautiful daughter he once knew.
‘Glistening white was her robe: I knew her well; I had seen her before’.
A pyghte coroune yet were that gyrle, of mariorys and non other ston, of cler quyt perle,’
With flurted flowrs perfet upon. Her lere leke al hyr umbegon, as schorne golde schyr her fax thenne schon, on schylderes that leghe unlapped lyghte.’
(‘That maiden wore a crown, adorned with pearls and other jewels, clear white pearls with perfectly figured flowers upon it. Her wimple encircled her face. Her hair, shining like cut gold, lay lightly unbound on her shoulders.’)
Queen of Heaven
Pearl’s crown symbolises her superior position in Heaven, while her loose golden hair symbolises her innocence. At last the poet is able to speak with his daughter. He tells her how desperately sad he has been since her death.
‘O perle,' quod I, 'in perles pyght, art thou my perle that I haf playned, regretted by myn one on nighte?’
('O pearl,' I said, 'adorned with pearls, are you the pearl for whom I mourned, grieved over every night alone?’)
For him it was an agony of grief.
‘My herte was al wyth mysse remorde, as wallande water gos out of welle.’
(‘My heart was all with grief oppressed, like water welling from a spring’)
In her spiritual form, Pearl has grown in years and wisdom. From her spiritual perspective she is able to comfort her father with words of strength and higher truth. She is a jewel. One of the queens of Heaven.
‘That juel thenne in gemmes gente, vered up her vyse wyth yyen graye, set on hyr coroun of perle orient’
(‘The jewel then in noble gems lifted her face with its grey eyes, put on her crown of Orient pearl’)
Higher knowledge
Pearl is no longer the small child of his memory. She is now a young woman steeped in theological doctrine. Roles are reversed. She is the teacher and her father, the pupil. Pearl represents the Christian view of Heaven, as she debates with her father the nature of death and other spiritual matters.
The poet recognises his daughter’s higher authority and wisdom. She is angelic in her graciousness, ethereal in her beauty.
'O makeles perle in perles pure, that beres.' quod I, 'the perle of prys, quo formed the thy fayre figure? That wroght thy wede, he was ful wise. Thy beaute com never of nature; thy colour passes, the flour-de-lys, thyn angel-havyng so clene cortes.’)
(`O matchless pearl, in pearls pure, that wears,' I said, 'the pearl of great price. He who formed for you your lovely face and made your clothing, was most wise. Your beauty never came from nature... Your colour surpasses the fleur-de-Iys, your angelic appearance is so entirely gracious.’)
Transcending grief
As the poem progresses the poet’s grief is transcended by spiritual reconciliation. He accepts Pearl’s death in the wider context of that which he has just experienced. Grief remains, but he now understands that there is a higher purpose to her (and his) destiny.
References
‘Pearl’ translated by Bill Stanton (1995: York University)