Author Series 1 - Geoffrey Chaucer

Author Series 1

Geoffrey Chaucer 

* 1343-1400

* Chaucer lived during Edward III – 1327-1377 Richard II – 1377 -1399 Henry IV – 1399 -1413.

* He was the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey now known as “The Poets Corner.”

* In the “Legends of Good Women”, he dealt with the 9 legends - Cleopatra, Thisbe, Dido,hypolypta, Medea,Lucrece, Ariadne, Philomela, Phyllis and Hypermnestra.

* Dryden re-wrote Canterbury Tales in Modern English.

* He was the first national poet of England.

* Dryden said about him – “Here is God’s plenty” and “A Rough diamond and must first be polished ere he shines”.

* He is called father of English poetry and Grandfather of English Novel.

* He is called morning star of song, and morning star of Renaissance.

* Arnold says about him – “Chaucer lacks not only the accent of Dante but also the high seriousness.”

* He is the first one to use Ottava Rima in The Book of The Duchess. (Ottava Rima is the eight syllable line in couplet rhyming)

* He first used heroic couplet in The Legends of Good Women. (Heroic couplet is ten syllable line rhyming in Couplets)

* He first used Rhyme Royal in Troilus and Cressida. Rhyme Royal is ten syllable line arranged in Seven line stanza (ABAB BCC).

* In The House of Fame, Chaucer resemblance closes to Dante’s Divine Comedy.

* The general prologue of The Canterbury Tales contains 858 lines.

* The general plan of Canterbury tales is taken from Boccacio’s Decameron. In Canterbury the pilgrims could be seen going to Thomas a Beckett in the month of April. He gave pen picture of 21 pilgrims in this work.

* Edmund Spenser in his “Faerie Queene” called – “Chaucer, well of English undefiled.”

* Occleve wrote a famous poem “The Regiment of Princess” on the death of Chaucer.

* Chaucer and Langland died in the same year (1400).

* Although in Canterbury Tales 120 stories were planned but only 24 were written.

* Longest tale of Canterbury Tales is Knight’s Tale.

* The works of his life can be divided into three periods - French, Italian and English.