Over the past two thousand years the didactic poem has been a central genre in Latin literature. Although the existence of the genre is well-documented in Classical Antiquity and the post-Renaissance period, its development during the Middle Ages has never been properly assessed before. Professor Haye's book corrects this situation.
The didactic poem flourished in the medieval period, and became the most important didactic tool in schools and universities. From the 12th century onwards it also became a model for the vernacular literature of Germany, England, France, and Italy.
Apart from giving an overview of the genre in the Middle Ages, this book notes and evaluates many as yet unpublished poems. It also makes an important contribution to the methodological problems involved in the accurate description of a historical genre.