As one of noble birth it seems Dafydd did not belong to the guild of professional poets in medieval Wales, and yet the poetic tradition had been strong in his family for generations.

For many centuries the rival claims of Talley and Ystrad Fflur have been debated as the burialplace of Wales’ foremost poet.

[2]While it may be difficult to trace the exact years Dafydd was active, it is clear he wrote after the Edwardian conquests of Wales.

[3] Despite living under English authority, Dafydd’s poetry presents ways in which Welsh culture continued to distinguish itself and prevail.

A large majority of cultural expression was demonstrated militarily, as the Welsh suffered many incursions by Norman and English invaders.

[5] The Norman Invasions began a long period where the preservation of Welsh culture coincided with the need for military defense.

In the following decades, the Norman advance grew slow, as the Welsh had time to plan defenses unlike their English counterparts.

[6] As the campaigns drew on, marcher lordships were established on the border of Wales to help facilitate a defense against any counter-incursions.

While courtly love is primarily associated with the literature of mainland Europe, its elements can be found in works across the British Isles.

Dafydd's work, in contrast, is full of his own feelings and experiences, and he is a key figure in this transition from a primarily social poetic tradition into one in which the poet's own vision and art is given precedence.

In “The Lady Goldsmith,” Dafydd praises his devotion to a woman who creates attire out of her hair and nature’s bristle.

In contrast, traditional courtly love literature tended to shy away from praising sexual desire in favor of patience and virtuous romance.

His popularity during his own historic period is testified by the fact that so many of his poems were selected for preservation in texts, despite a relatively short career compared to some of his contemporaries.

As Robert Bartlett argues, European cultures formed in a homogeneous nature, primarily through conquest and settlement.

[22] The argument is taken further by Carol Llyod Wood, who demonstrates how intermarriage and architectural similarity amongst various regions also support an idea of passive cultural diffusion.

Architecture tended to reflect the cultures of either the Welsh or English based on the level of authority of either group in the region.

Scratching the surface of Dafydd’s poetry reveals that culture was defined and controlled by many aspects, and not just one major force.

[25] Glyn’s poem demonstrates a much more traditional approach of gallantry and chivalry popular in continental European literature.