Lines 21-48 Summary

The narrator reveals that he will write down a dream he had five years ago at the age of twenty, naming it the Romance of the Rose. He expresses a wish that the lady he loves will receive it well.

Lines 21-48 Analysis

The narrator reveals three motives for writing down his dream. Firstly, he hopes that the audience will enjoy it and that it will make their hearts "gaye and light." Secondly, he reveals that Love commanded him to do it. In other words, he wants to write this as an expression of his love for a lady, which is confirmed by his wish that she receives the poem well. Thirdly, he also wants to explain the "art of Love" within the poem.

The "Art of Love" is a direct reference to Ovid's Ars Amantis, which is very popular in...