Geoffrey Chaucer

1342 - 1400 *

English poet, before Shakespeare, whose varied work includes one of the greatest poems, The Cantebury Tales.

Chaucer was the first in a tradition of English poets who would play a significant role in the development of literature.

He served as a public servant for most of his life, aiding three successive kings. His travels abroad, particularly to France, where he encountered French Romanticism, had a profound influence on the style of his writing.

Chaucer's work is characterised by variety subject matter, genre, tone and style; they represent some of the most careful and tolerant consideration of philosophical ideas.

The Canterbury Tales is one of the greatest works of English poetry. It tells of a storytelling contest of a group of about 30 pilgrims as they travel through England. It is an extraordinary exploration of the pleasures, vices and spiritual aspirations of our lives.

          Source: Classics Network Editorial Team

Writer, official and bureaucrat, the outstanding English poet before William Shakespeare. Chaucer is remembered as the author of Canterbury Tales, which ranks as one of the greatest epic works of world literature. Chaucer made a crucial contribution to English literature in using English at a time when much court poetry was still written in Anglo-Norman or Latin. Although he spent one of two brief periods of disfavor, Chaucer lived the whole of his life close the centers of English power.
'My lige lady, generally,' quod he,
'Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee
As wel over hir ... [read entire biography]

          Source: Public Domain

CHAUCER, GEOFFREY (?1340—1400), English poet. The name Chaucer, a French form of the Latin calcearius, a shoe11-taker, is found in London and the eastern counties as early as the second half of the 13th century. Some of the London Chaucers lived in Cordwainer Street, in the shoemakers’ quarter; several of them, however, were vintners, and among others the poet’s father John, and probably also his grandfather Robert. Legal pleadings inform us that in December 1324 John Chaucer was not much over t... [read entire biography]

          Source: Public Domain

These essays offer analysis of the author's life and works. Many of them have been submitted by users, and are assigned an Editorial Rating on a scale from one to five stars to assist you in evaluating their worth. See also: Note on Essays, Editorial Policy.

     

What Characteristics of the Pardoner's Tale Make it Seem Like a Sermon? -- Canterbury Tales - the Pardoner's Tale: a focused analysis
By Ali Rathore, Student	Editorial Rating:

Chaucer's Shipman -- A brief analysis of the shipman in Geoffrey Chaucer's prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
By Skylar Burris, Masters Student	Editorial Rating:

"A heavily satirical portrait": The Prioress in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales -- A look at the description of the prioress in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
By victoria ross, Student	Editorial Rating:

The Canterbury tales vs. otras colecciones -- A comparison between The Canterbury Tales and other medieval collection of tales, like The Decameron and El conde Lucanor
By Raquel Míguez, Student	Editorial Rating:

     

Miscellaneous

		Chaucer Metapage -- site initiated by 33rd International Congress of Medieval Studies, interesting links to other Chaucer sites and Medieval Times, online texts, bibliography, essays http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 577 1 users have rated it an average of 1 stars     [rate it] Geoffrey Chaucer at Luminarium -- a site at Luminarium, containing works, essays, and resources for the study of Chaucer http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 846 1 users have rated it an average of 5 stars     [rate it] Chaucer and his works -- online texts and interesting links to other sites on Chaucer http://www.siue.edu/CHAUCER/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 677 1 users have rated it an average of 1 stars     [rate it] The Geoffrey Chaucer Page -- list of his mjor works and short bibliography, online texts http://www.accd.edu/sac/english/bailey/c... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 429 0 users have rated it an average of 0 stars     [rate it]

     

Whanne that April with his shoures sote
The droughte of March hath perced to the rote. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 1.

Geoffrey Chaucer

And smale foules maken melodie,
That slepen alle night with open eye,
So priketh hem nature in hir corages;
Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 9.

Geoffrey Chaucer

And of his port as meke as is a mayde. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 69.

Geoffrey Chaucer

He was a veray parfit gentil knight. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 72.

Geoffrey Chaucer

He coude songes make, and wel endite. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 95.

Geoffrey Chaucer

Ful wel she sange the service devine,
Entuned in hire nose ful swetely;
And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte bowe,
For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 122.

Geoffrey Chaucer

A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 287.

Geoffrey Chaucer

For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 295.

Geoffrey Chaucer

And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 310.

Geoffrey Chaucer

Nowher so besy a man as he ther n’ as,
And yet he semed besier than he was. -- Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 323.

Geoffrey Chaucer

More quotes by this author are available...

Additional searches

Chaucer at Encarta Encyclopedia

Chaucer at Britannica Encyclopedia

Chaucer at Xrefer.com