Geoffrey Chaucer

ChaucerArms Ancient

Folio 153v of the Ellesmere Chaucer with an illustration of Chaucer

ChaucerCrest EwelmeChurch Oxfordshire

Geoffrey Chaucer

Blue plaque, Tabard Inn

Portrait of Chaucer - Portrait and Life of Chaucer (16th C), f.1 - BL Add MS 5141

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and is often called the "Father of English literature". His most famous work, The Canterbury Tales, is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The tales, written in Middle English, provide a vivid and diverse picture of the life and society of the time and have been of significant influence on the development of the English literary tradition.

Life

Little is known about Chaucer's early life. He was born into a family of wealthy wine merchants in London, and his father, John Chaucer, had strong connections to the royal court. This background likely provided Geoffrey with a high level of education and the opportunity to mingle with the upper echelons of society. By 1357, he was serving as a page to Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster, which marked the beginning of his long and varied career as a courtier, diplomat, and civil servant under three English monarchs: Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV.

Throughout his life, Chaucer undertook several diplomatic missions abroad, including to Italy, where he was exposed to the works of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, which would have a profound influence on his writing. He also held various public offices, such as Comptroller of the Customs for the Port of London and Clerk of the King's Works.

Works

Chaucer's literary output is varied, including poetry, prose, and translation. His early works, such as The Book of the Duchess and The House of Fame, show a strong influence of French and Italian literature, particularly the courtly love tradition. However, it is The Canterbury Tales for which he is best remembered. This collection of over 20 stories, ranging from the comedic to the tragic, the moral to the bawdy, is presented as a storytelling competition between a group of pilgrims. The work remains unfinished, with Chaucer having completed only a fraction of the planned tales before his death.

In addition to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer's other notable works include Troilus and Criseyde, a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, and The Legend of Good Women, a series of narratives about female saints and martyrs. He also translated the Roman de la Rose, a French allegory on love, and produced a scientific treatise, A Treatise on the Astrolabe, for his son, demonstrating his wide-ranging interests and knowledge.

Legacy

Chaucer's influence on the English language and literature cannot be overstated. He was the first writer to use the vernacular English, rather than Latin or French, thereby giving English literary tradition its own voice. His works have been admired for their rich characterisation, humour, and vivid portrayal of contemporary life. Moreover, Chaucer's use of the iambic pentameter, particularly in The Canterbury Tales, laid the foundation for its use by later poets.

Chaucer's death in 1400 marked the end of a remarkable career, but his legacy endures. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, in an area now known as Poets' Corner, where many of England's greatest writers have since been laid to rest. Today, Chaucer is studied and celebrated not only as a foundational figure in English literature but also as a social commentator whose works offer insight into the complexities of the medieval world.

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