Geoffrey Chaucer
*A post by*
*D. DEV*
*English Net/Set Consultant
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 – 25 October 1400), is known as *the Father of English Poetry.*
He is widely considered the greatest English *poet of the Middle Age.*
He was the first poet to be *buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.*
He is called as *Morning Star of Renaissance*
He achieved fame during his lifetime as an author, philosopher, civil servant, and
astronomer, composing a scientific treatise on the astrolabe for his ten-year-old son
Lewis.
Chaucer also maintained an active career in the *civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier
, and diplomat.*
*Early Life:*
Poet Geoffrey Chaucer was *born in 1340 in London, England.*
Chaucer‘s father, John, carried on the family wine business.
Geoffrey Chaucer is believed to have attended the* St. Paul‘s Cathedral School,* where
he probably first became acquainted with the *influential writing of Virgil and Ovid.*
In 1357, Chaucer became a *public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster,* the Duke
of Clarence‘s wife.
In 1359, the teenage Chaucer went off to fight in the *Hundred Years War* in France,
and at Rethel, he was captured for ransom.
*King Edward III helped pay 16 pounds* of ransom to release Chaucer.
After Chaucer‘s release, *he joined the Royal Service*, traveling throughout France,
Spain and Italy on diplomatic missions throughout the early to mid-1360s.
For his services, King Edward granted Chaucer a pension of 20 marks.
In 1366, *Chaucer married Philippa Roet,* the daughter of Sir Payne Roet, and the
marriage conveniently helped further Chaucer‘s career in the English court.
By 1368, King Edward III had made Chaucer *one of his esquires.*
From 1370 to 1373, he went abroad again and fulfilled diplomatic missions in Florence
and Genoa, helping establish an English port in Genoa.
He also spent time familiarizing himself with the work of *Italian poets Dante and
Petrarch* along the way.
By the time he returned, he and Philippa were prospering, and he was rewarded for his
diplomatic activities with *an appointment as Comptroller of Customs,* a lucrative
position.
Meanwhile, Philippa and Chaucer were also granted generous pensions by John of
Gaunt, the first duke of Lancaster.
In 1377 and 1388, Chaucer engaged in yet more diplomatic missions, with the
objectives of finding a French wife for Richard II and securing military aid in Italy.
During trips to Italy in 1372 and 1378, he discovered the works of *Dante, Boccaccio,
and Petrarch*—each of which greatly influenced Chaucer‘s own literary endeavors.
Busy with his duties, Chaucer had little time to devote to writing poetry, his true
passion.
Chaucer established residence in Kent, where he was elected *a justice of the peace
and a Member of Parliament in 1386.*
When Philippa passed away in 1387, Chaucer stopped sharing in her royal annuities
and suffered financial hardship.
*Major Works:*
*1. French Period: (1360-1370)*
*The Romaunt of the Rose:*
It is based on *the French work ‗Le Romaunt de la Rose‘ by Lorris and De Meung.*
It is an allegorical, dream poem written in *Octosyllabic Couplet.*
It begins with an allegorical dream, in which the narrator receives advice from the god
of love on gaining his lady‘s favor.
It has three fragments (i.e.) A, B, C.
*The Book of the Duchess: (1369)*
Chaucer's first published work was The Book of the Duchess, a poem of over 1,300
lines.
*It is an elegy for Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster,* addressed to her widower, the Duke.
It is called ―*The Dream of Chaucer.*
2. Italian Period: (1370- 1385)*
*The House of Fame (1382)*
It is a poem of around 2,000 lines in dream-vision form based on *Dante‘s Divine
Comedy‘. *
It is an allegorical poem written in *Octosyllabic Couplet.*
It has the description of the temple of *Venus.*
*The Legend of Good Women (1385)*
It is based on ‗*Boccaccio‘s Mulieribus*
Chaucer introduced the stanza form of iambic pentameter couplets i.e* Heroic Couplet
in The Legend of Good Women,* which is seen for the first time in English.
It has a prologue and *9 legends.*
It describes *9 famous women.*
*Troilus and Criseyde:*
It was influenced by *The Consolation of Philosophy,* which Chaucer himself
translated into English.
Chaucer took some the plot of Troilus from *Boccaccio's Filostrato.*
*Chaucer invented Rhyme Royal i.e. Chaucerian Stanza (7 lines) in this poem.*
Troilus and Criseyde is a narrative poem of 8,000 lines that retells the tragic love story
of Troilus and Criseyde in the context of the *Trojan War.*
*Anelida and Arcite:*
It tells the story of Anelida, queen of Armenia and Arcite.
It has some elements of *Boccaccio‘s Tessida.*
*Parlement of Foules:*
His works included *Parlement of Foules,* a poem of 699 lines.
This work is a dream vision for *St. Valentine's Day* makes use of the myth that
each year on that day the birds gather before the goddess Nature to choose their mates.
This work was heavily influenced by *Boccaccio and Dante.*
It was written in 1380, during marriage negotiations between *Richard and Anne of
Bohemia.*
It had been identified as peppered with Neo-Platonic ideas inspired by the likes of
poets *Cicero and Jean De Meung.*
The poem uses allegory and incorporates elements of irony and satire as it points to
the inauthentic quality of courtly love.
*Translation of Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy as Boece:*
Boece is Chaucer‘s translation into Middle English of ‗*The Consolation of Philosophy
by Boethius.*
It was *originally written in Latin,* and stressed the importance of philosophy to everyday
life.
*3. English Period: (1384 – 1390)*
*The Canterbury Tales:*
Chaucer wrote the *unfinished work, The Canterbury Tales.*
The Canterbury Tales is by far Chaucer‘s best-known and most acclaimed work.
Initially, Chaucer had planned for each of his characters to tell four stories a piece.
The first two stories would be set as the character was on his/her way to Canterbury,
and the second two were to take place as the character was heading home.
Apparently, Chaucer‘s goal of writing 120 stories was an overly ambitious one.
In actuality, The Canterbury Tales is made up of only 24 tales and rather abruptly ends
before its characters even make it to Canterbury.
The tales are fragmented and varied in order, and scholars continue to debate whether
the tales were published in their correct order.
Despite its erratic qualities, The Canterbury Tales continues to be acknowledged for
the beautiful rhythm of Chaucer‘s language and his characteristic use of clever, satirical
wit.
*A Treatise on the Astrolabe:*
A Treatise on the Astrolabe is one of *Chaucer‘s prose works.*
It is an essay about the astrolabe, *a tool used by astronomers and explorers to locate
the positions of the sun, moon, and planets.*
Today it is one of the oldest surviving works that explain how to use a complex
scientific tool and is thought to do so with admirable clarity.
From 1370 to 1373, he went abroad again and fulfilled diplomatic missions in Florence
and Genoa, helping establish an English port in Genoa.
He also spent time familiarizing himself with the work of *Italian poets Dante and
Petrarch* along the way.
By the time he returned, he and Philippa were prospering, and he was rewarded for his
diplomatic activities with *an appointment as Comptroller of Customs,* a lucrative
position.
Meanwhile, Philippa and Chaucer were also granted generous pensions by John of
Gaunt, the first duke of Lancaster.
In 1377 and 1388, Chaucer engaged in yet more diplomatic missions, with the
objectives of finding a French wife for Richard II and securing military aid in Italy.
During trips to Italy in 1372 and 1378, he discovered the works of *Dante, Boccaccio,
and Petrarch*—each of which greatly influenced Chaucer‘s own literary endeavors.
Busy with his duties, Chaucer had little time to devote to writing poetry, his true
passion.
Chaucer established residence in Kent, where he was elected *a justice of the peace
and a Member of Parliament in 1386.*
When Philippa passed away in 1387, Chaucer stopped sharing in her royal annuities
and suffered financial hardship.
*Major Works:*
*1. French Period: (1360-1370)*
*The Romaunt of the Rose:*
It is based on *the French work ‗Le Romaunt de la Rose‘ by Lorris and De Meung.*
It is an allegorical, dream poem written in *Octosyllabic Couplet.*
It begins with an allegorical dream, in which the narrator receives advice from the god
of love on gaining his lady‘s favor.
It has three fragments (i.e.) A, B, C.
*The Book of the Duchess: (1369)*
Chaucer's first published work was The Book of the Duchess, a poem of over 1,300
lines.
*It is an elegy for Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster,* addressed to her widower, the Duke.
It is called ―*The Dream of Chaucer*
*2. Italian Period: (1370- 1385)*
*The House of Fame (1382)*
It is a poem of around 2,000 lines in dream-vision form based on ‗*Dante‘s Divine
Comedy*
It is allegorical poem written in *Octosyllabic Couplet.*
It has the description of temple of *Venus.*
*The Legend of Good Women (1385)*
It is based on ‗*Boccaccio‘s Mulieribus*
Chaucer introduced the stanza form of iambic pentameter couplets i.e *Heroic Couplet
in The Legend of Good Women,* which is seen for the first time in English.
It has a prologue and *9 legends. *
It describes *9 famous women.*
*Troilus and Criseyde: *
It was influenced by *The Consolation of Philosophy,* which Chaucer himself
translated into English.
Chaucer took some of the plot of Troilus from *Boccaccio's Filostrato. *
*Chaucer invented Rhyme Royal i.e. Chaucerian Stanza (7 lines) in this poem.*
Troilus and Criseyde is a narrative poem of 8,000 lines that retells the tragic love story
of Troilus and Criseyde in the context of the *Trojan War.*
*Anelida and Arcite:*
It tells the story of Anelida, queen of Armenia and Arcite.
It has some elements of *Boccaccio‘s Tessida.*
*A Treatise on the Astrolabe:*
A Treatise on the Astrolabe is one of *Chaucer‘s prose works.*
It is an essay about the astrolabe, *a tool used by astronomers and explorers to locate
the positions of the sun, moon, and planets.*
Today it is one of the oldest surviving works that explain how to use a complex
scientific tool and is thought to do so with admirable clarity.
*Later Life:*
From 1389 to 1391, after Richard II had ascended to the throne, Chaucer held a
draining and dangerous position as Clerk of the Works.
He was robbed by highwaymen twice while on the job, which only served to further
compound his financial worries.
To make matters even worse, Chaucer had stopped receiving his pension.
Chaucer eventually resigned from the position for a lower but less stressful appointment as
sub-forester, or gardener, at the King‘s park in Somersetshire.
When Richard II was deposed in 1399, his cousin and successor, *Henry IV took pity on
Chaucer and reinstated Chaucer‘s former pension. *
With the money, Chaucer was able to lease an apartment in the garden of St. Mary
Chapel in Westminster, where he lived modestly for the rest of his days.
*Death:*
*He died October 25, 1400, in London, England.*
He was the first to be buried *in Westminster Abbey i.e. Poet‘s Corner.*
*Quotes:*
“Chaucer is our well of English undefiled” – *Spenser*
“Here is God„s plenty” – *John Dryden*
“Some of his characters are vicious; and some virtuous” - *John Dryden*
“Chaucer is a perpetual fountain of good sense, learned in all sciences” - *John Dryden*
“Chaucer is the father of English poetry” - *John Dryden*
“Chaucer lacks the high seriousness of the great classics” – * Mathew Arnold*
“With him, real poetry is born” – *Mathew Arnold*
“Chaucer found his native tongue a dialect and left it a language” – *Lowes*
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