Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1340 ～1400),

the most prominent literary figure

in Middle English period is “ the father of English poetry ” .

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He was born of a prosperous wine-merchant's family in London and was most probably educated in Oxford and Cambridge .

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer's family

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He once served as a page to Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster and in 1367 he entered the service of King Edward III , who made Chaucer involved in diplomatic errands for nearly ten years.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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In 1386 he was elected member of Parliament, but soon was dismissed.

In 1389 he was appointed clerk of the King's works and the new king Henry IV granted him a pension.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The tomb of Geoffrey

Chaucer

The great poet died in October, 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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Chaucer's important positions made him know well of the upper class life, while his life experience in poverty taught him the miseries of the lower class. However, as a man often rubbed shoulders with the court and nobility, he always gave mercies to these upper class people while exposing the frailties of them. Such a feature is clearly shown in his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The Canterbury Tales

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Chaucer's literary works are roughly divided into three periods, according to his three periods of life.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The first period stretches from the 1360s to about 1372 during which time he mainly wrote under the influence of French literature, and he chiefly translated from the French works, such as Roman de la Rose

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The second period extends from 1372 to 1386 when Chaucer wrote under the influence of Italian Renaissance. He mainly adapted works from Italian, such as Troilus and Criseide.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The third period covers the last fifteen years of the poet's life: from 1386 to 1400, when Chaucer stopped being the mere interpreter of other poets and produced his own works of full maturity. The Canterbury Tales, one of the monumental works in English literature, was composed during this period.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The Canterbury Tales is Chaucer's masterpiece and it is for it that Chaucer's name is best remembered. The Canterbury Tales opens with a general prologue, which is considered the best part of the whole work. In the prologue, the readers are told that on a spring evening, the poet drops in the Tabard Inn, where he meets 29 other pilgrims all ready for a journey of 60 miles to Canterbury . Because of the long and tedious journey, the host of the Inn suggests that they should colour the journey by telling stories.

The Canterbury Tales

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