The Jouster (To Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, alias W. Shake-Speare)
The Jouster (To Edward de Vere) Thou hast surrendered innocence of sight, And ride'st the lists where censure bars thy stance; Each prejudice stands armed against the light, You, a knight in steel that will not lower the lance. Like obstacles in your antique games, Thy path is lined with appearances in thy mind; Thou charge'st at shadows, giving each a name, And bringest, with them, the truth of thy kind. Once thou couldst see the world without a shield, With crystal glance, unguarded by disdain; When victory awaited thee at the end, your fantasy was thy only winning friend. Now Hamlet’s thoughts create contested fields, Where borrowed fears are sharpened into pain. (Erminia Passannanti, Oxford, 2 November 2026) The Jouster: A Commentary “The Jouster” is a poem addressed to Edward de Vere. Its central concern is the loss of innocence of perception and the transformation of an imaginative mind into one increasingly governed by suspicion, prejudice and defensive attitudes. T...