Geoffrey Chaucer
The known details of Geoffrey Chaucer's life are sketchy at best.
He was born in London to vintner John Chaucer sometime between
1340-1344.
The next we hear of young Geoffrey is in 1357 as a page in the
household of Prince Lionel. He then served with the army of Edward
III in France, and was captured and ransomed. Sometime in the mid-1360s
Chaucer married Philippa Roet, lady in waiting to Queen Philippa.
His first literary works appear in this period, notably the Book
of the Duchess (1369), an allegory lamenting the death of
Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt.
Several diplomatic journeys to Italy exposed Chaucer to Roman
classical literature, and he produced several translations and
his best work, Troilus and Criseyde, which has been called
one of the finest love poems in the English language. In this work
Chaucer popularized the seven line stanza known as the rhyme
royal.
Chaucer held a variety of posts at King Edward's court, culminating
in his appointment as clerk of the king's works (1389-1391).
Around 1387 Chaucer began his master work, The Canterbury Tales.
This lengthy poem, which weighs in at an impressive 17,000 lines,
was never finished. It tells the tale of a group of pilgrims journeying
from London to the shrine of Thomas à Becket at Canterbury.
To pass the time on their trip, they tell each other stories.
The stories themselves are not always as impressive as is Chaucer's
ability to vividly portray a broad cross-section of English society,
its foibles, fancies, and attitudes. The Canterbury Tales are
by turns bawdy, humorous, and preaching, and the characters come
alive.
Prior to Chaucer's time (with the notable exception of William
Langland's Vision of Piers the Plowman), literary works
were written in Latin. Chaucer is rightly remembered as the first
major author to popularize the use of English in literature.
Geoffrey Chaucer died on October 25, 1400, and was buried at Westminster
Abbey.
Web Resources:
The Essential
Chaucer
Geoffrey
Chaucer 1342-1400
Canterbury Tales
and Chaucer - essays and papers on Chaucer for sale as well
as free background information for students.
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