A Fallen Language and the Consolation of Art in the Book of the Duchess.

Chaucer's Book of the Duchess explores the essential relationship between language and memory. When language appears inadequate or contrived, as it is for the Black Knight, then memory falters. However, by modeling Ovid, Chaucer uses language to transform painful memories, such as death or unrequited love, into an aesthetic experience that is emotionally and physically restorative. Emphasizing the therapeutic potential of language on memory, the Book of the Duchess foreshadows Freud's psychoanalytic method; for both the doctor and the poet, language's metaphorical capacity can productively redefine memories that are traumatic and psychically destructive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]