Like most of Chaucer's minor poems, there is little critical material to be found on The Complaint of Mars. Most scholars simply pass the poem over or, if they must comment, make note of the rhyme scheme and move on. In the beginning of the twentieth century Robert Kilburn of Princeton noted that the "Complaint has little claim to attention save for the fact that a somewhat difficult nine-line stanza is handled with a good deal of skill," and until recently scholarly opinion hasn't changed. Even with an increase in interest and awareness of Chaucer's earlier works occurring over the past twenty-five years, there still exists a large gap in our understanding of the minor poems, and The Complaint of Mars in particular. (Kilburn, 63)
However, The Complaint of Mars occupies a very important place in Chaucer's development as a poet and writer. It reveals a poet who was tinkering with new forms and attempting to expand beyond the traditional modes of expression. The poem shows new aspects of Chaucer's development of style and presentation that will eventually mark his later works, and it presents themes of love and loss that will be echoed by the metaphysical poets of the 16th century and the modernists of the 20th century.
Formalistically, Chaucer's Complaint can be divided into two unequal parts: the longer narrative and the shorter complaint. The manuscripts divide the poem along these lines as well. The shift from one to the other is marked by a change from rhyme royal to the "somewhat difficult" nine-line stanzas rhyming aab aab bcc. Within this division there are further divisions. The narrative can be divided into a prologue, sung by a bird on St. Valentine's Day, and the action narrative, which is a combination of the mythological story of Mars and Venus and action governed by planetary movement. W.A. Davenport argues that the Complaint can also be seen as a sequence of episodes, much like The House of Fame or Parliament of Foules. The complaint, on the other hand, can be divided into an introductory stanza and five sets of three stanzas each.
While no precise dates for composition have been set, The Complaint of Mars was written sometime between 1375 and 1385, a decade of intensity and expansion in Chaucer's work: the translation of Boethius, Troilus and Criseyde, the Knight's Tale, Parliament of Foules, House of Fame and possibly the story of Griselda in the Clerk's Tale all come from this period. While the relative order of these works has not been satisfactorily determined, there are internal markers that show a definite forward progression. Troilus and Crisedye and the Knight's Tale have long been considered the greatest works of this period, and it is my contention that The Complaint of Mars, as well as other poems from this period, is a transitional work that finds its fulfillment in the greater works.
Compared to Chaucer's earlier work and the poetic forms of his contemporaries, the narrative conveys a sense that the poet was seeking new modes of expression. Leading into the narrative, Chaucer combines narrative and lyric by utilizing a lyrical aubade (morning song) for the introduction of his bird-narrator. The tale itself is a combination of the Ovidian tale of Mars and Venus and movement of the planets, satisfying the medieval interest in both courtly love motifs and astronomical movement. The tone of the Complaint is a new direction for Chaucer, as well. As Davenport writes, there is a "degree of philosophical seriousness in the complaint sequence which has reminded readers of Boethius." It is here that Chaucer began to experiment with this serious tone, an experiment that would find its fulfillment in Troilus and Criseyde. (Davenport, 34)
Despite the richness in expression, the poem is a transitional poem for Chaucer. While he has begun experimenting with new forms and styles, there are clear indications that he has not settled on the forms that he will later perfect. The shift in meter between the narrative and complaint shows that he was still thinking of the Complaint as a distinct entity, and had not integrated it into the narrative as he does in the Knight's Tale. While he later uses the complaint dramatically, as in Anelida and Arcite, there is more of a sense of detachment in the Complaint. The psychological distance between Mars and the reader belies the depth of Mars' suffering, and detracts from the serious tone of the complaint. Most importantly, the bird-narrator seems to be forgotten in the course of the narrative, only to reappear sporadically.
Thematically, The Complaint of Mars is a treatment of the same matter as in the Knight's Tale and Anelida and Arcite. The complicated nature of courtly love and its inherent contradictions was not a new topic for Chaucer, but instead we find him continually returning for new treatments of it. However, the Complaint may be seen as one of the earliest serious and harsh treatments. The Legend of Good Women and The Book of the Duchess both touch on these matters, but in a light comic tone. In much the same way Chaucer begins the Complaint with a slightly comic telling of the Mars and Venus story, but shifts the tone when moving to the complaint. While he did not perfect this tone, it marks the first experimentation with a serious tone and a pivotal change in the way Chaucer addresses his subject matters.
The choice of a bird-narrator is important to an understanding of the poem. In medieval literature birds can represent a variety of things, from the mating instinct and sexuality as they do in Parliament of Foules, to joy and celebration as in the French dits (which Chaucer would have been well acquainted with), to a form of social hierarchy. The Complaint, however, uses an unspecified bird-narrator to represent the natural, and a detachment from the scene unfolding: the "bird is an image of the poet at tutelary spirit, and its combination of the innocent and knowing, the natural and the artful provides a useful point of detachment." This detachment is needed to highlight the absurdity of the love between Mars and Venus, in all its comic glory. If the reader identifies too closely with Mars or with Venus, they will more likely to see the tragic undertone that Chaucer wants held until the complaint. (Davenport, 34)
While the story of Mars and Venus is enjoyable, the heart of the poem is the complaint itself. Most critics assume that the comedic subject and tone transfer from the narrative to the complaint; however if the complaint is viewed as a distinct entity with its own tone and style, the interpretation of the poem must shift to accommodate. It is my suggestion that Chaucer's intention was for the narrative and complaint to remain distinct entities, and the division in the style, tone and rhyme scheme along with the division in the manuscripts supports my theory. When looked at in this light, Mars' complaint cannot be seen as the gruff war god presenting his case, but rather must be seen as a genuine examination of pain and loss.
Mars is essentially asking the age-old question of separated lovers: why? His cry to heavens is for understanding of his plight. He goes through a genuine examination of his feelings. The first stanza in the complaint shows Mars examining his feelings for his love. Poets throughout all time have sung of the beauty and richness of their love, but here Mars has the source of all beauty. Of all the women who ever had their praises sung, here is the one from whom it all springs. Of course he cannot blame his love, and the next three stanzas look to the heavens for an answer. He asks what kind of God would allow love to be so passing, so much pain. He argues that He who has fashioned his love is to blame, comparing Venus to the brooch of Thebes, which was created to engulf the possessor.
When he comes down from his emotions, with questions still unanswered, Mars remembers his place. He reminds us all that their plight is not singular. In fact, Mars the knight and Venus the lady are the model for courtly love. With their love in trouble, all those who follow in the fashion of courtly love are doomed as well. Mars' situation, while treated comically in the narrative, is thrust back upon us as our fate as well. We are warned, knights and ladies alike, of the realities of love. In bringing it back to the ideas of courtly love, in equating Mars and Venus with the institution, Chaucer is able to challenge the ideals presented. He challenges us to look at the courtly love dynamic. Just as in the Knight's Tale, we are left with a reality that does not fulfill the ideal. Palamon and Arcite both achieve their desires in ways that they did not expect, as Mars is granted Venus' love but not her presence. The challenge is subtle, yet effective.
Chaucer has not yet completed his metamorphosis by the writing
of The Complaint of Mars. There are inconsistencies in tone and in
thematic structure. He is unable to create the psychological distance needed
to win us over to Mars' side. But it is an important step on the road to artistic
achievement, without which the beauty of the Knight's Tale and Troilus
and Crisedye may not have been realized.