TheFindernManuscript(CambridgeUniversityLibrary,Ff.1.6):ANewEditionoftheUniquePoemsisthefirstcriticaleditionofthethirty-fouruniqueandunattributedMiddleEnglishpoemscontainedinCambridge,UniversityLibraryMSFf.1.6.Thiscollectionofuniquepoemsissignificantforitssizeandthematiccoherence,andfortheinsightitprovidesintoregionalliteraryculture,thatofsouthDerbyshire,inthelatefifteenthandearlysixteenthcenturies.Thepoems,mainlyshortlyrictexts,butalsothenarrativepoem,TheParliamentofLove,twotopicalcomplaints,andaromanceknownasthe’Alexander-CassamusFragment’,aresignificantfortheevidencetheyprovideforcreativeresponsestothemetropolitanliteratureofpreviousgenerations,especiallytotheworksofChaucer,Gower,HoccleveandLydgate.Thepoemsexplorearangeofamatory,religiousandphilosophicalthemesinavarietyoflyricformsandgenres.Theiranonymityandexperimentationwithlyricvoiceandstylemakethemanimportantsiteforexploringthecontributionofwomen,aswellasmen,tolatemedievalregionalliteraryculture.
