Gower, John, 1330?-1408, English poet. He was the best-known contemporary and friend of Chaucer, who addressed him as "Moral Gower," at the end of Troilus and Criseyde. Apparently he was a Kentish landowner who lived in London until his last years, when he became blind and retired as a layman to the priory of St. Mary Overey. In the 15th and 16th cent. Gower was frequently paired with Chaucer as a master of English poetry. Each of his three major works, characterized by metrical smoothness and serious moral criticism, was written in a different language. Speculum Meditantis (or Miroir de l'omme, 28,603 French octosyllabic lines, written before 1381) is an allegorical manual of the vices and virtues; Vox Clamantis (10,265 Latin elegiac verses, written c.1381) expresses horror at the Peasants' Revolt led by Wat Tyler and goes on to condemn the baseness of all classes of society; Confessio Amantis, Gower's masterpiece (c.34,000 English lines, written c.1390) is a collection of stories that illustrate the Seven Deadly Sins. Among his minor works are Cinkante Ballades, which are love poems in French, and In Praise of Peace, a poem in English.

Gower, Welsh Gŵyr, peninsula, c.15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, Swansea, S Wales, between Swansea and Carmarthen bays. Composed of limestone, the peninsula has scenic cliffs and numerous caves, many of which contain Paleolithic and Bronze Age relics. Farming is the chief economic activity. There are several coastal resorts. Most of the peninsula has been officially designated as a natural beauty area.

(born 1330?—died 1408, London?) English poet. His works, in the tradition of courtly love and moral allegory, strongly influenced other poets of his day. His friend Geoffrey Chaucer called him “moral Gower.” His Speculum meditantis (circa 1374–78), written in French, is an allegorical work on vices and virtues. Vox clamantis (1385?), his major Latin poem, owes much to Ovid. His greatest work in English is the Confessio Amantis (begun circa 1386), a long collection of exemplary tales of love.

Learn more about Gower, John with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born 1330?—died 1408, London?) English poet. His works, in the tradition of courtly love and moral allegory, strongly influenced other poets of his day. His friend Geoffrey Chaucer called him “moral Gower.” His Speculum meditantis (circa 1374–78), written in French, is an allegorical work on vices and virtues. Vox clamantis (1385?), his major Latin poem, owes much to Ovid. His greatest work in English is the Confessio Amantis (begun circa 1386), a long collection of exemplary tales of love.

Learn more about Gower, John with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Gower is a city in Buchanan and Clinton Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 1,399 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Gower is located at (39.611381, -94.597656).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,399 people, 536 households, and 393 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,399.9 people per square mile (540.2/km²). There were 549 housing units at an average density of 549.3/sq mi (212.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.36% White, 0.14% African American, 0.14% Native American, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.

There were 536 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,125, and the median income for a family was $55,694. Males had a median income of $35,313 versus $24,563 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,408. About 2.4% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links