The life of Chaucer..Chaucer is the first (14th Century) prominent English writer, who played important role in English Literature..

1. A PROMINENT
WRITER:
GEOFFREY
CHAUCER

2. Name:Dhvani Rajyaguru
Roll NO:04
Subject Name:
CHAUCER: A PROMINENT WRITER
Paper name: History of English Literature
Paper Code and No: 22396-105(A)
Email id: dhvanirajyaguru22@gmail.com
DeP. Name: MKBU Dep, Bhavnagar.

3. LIFE OF CHAUCER
Geoffrey Chaucer (1350? – 25 October 1400)
was an English poet and author.
Widely considered the greatest English poet of
the Middle Ages, he is best known for The
Canterbury Tales.
He has been called the "father of English
literature", or also "father of English poetry”.
He was the first writer to be buried in what has
since come to be called Poets' Corner, in
Westminster Abbey.

4. CHAUCER’S LITERARY
LIFE IN THREE PERIODS
We can devide life of Chaucer into
three periods.
The first, of thirty years, he was
influenced almost exclusively by
French literary models.
The second period of fifteen years,
covers Chaucer's active life as
diplomat and in this the Italian
influence seems stronger than the
French.
The third, of fifteen years, generally
known as the English period, is the
time of Chaucer's richest
development. (William J Long-
English Literature)

5. CHAUCER’S WORKS
His early lyrics and translations, such as The Romaunt of the Rose and the ABC, were grounded
in the culture of the court.
Many of Chaucer’s mature works would have been similarly written for and read out to a courtly
audience. His poetry also tells that he was a keen observer of men is obvious from his
masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales.
Even if we feel ignorant as to what motivated him as an author, his surviving work is testament to
the fact that he managed to write some of the greatest and most original poetry in the English
language.

6. 1.The Book of the Duchess:
Chaucer’s first important poem and one of the best works with an early work
from around 1370, The Book of the Duchess, was written for John of Gaunt,the
Duke of Lancaster as a memorial for his wife. He wrote it when he was still
probably only in his late twenties. Sometimes it is also known by the alternative
title The Deth of Blaunche, this poem is an example of the dream-vision, a
popular genre in medieval poetry.
2.‘The Parliament of Fowls’:
This is another early work, thought to date from around 1382. It has a
curious link with the establishment of Valentine’s Day as a romantic date in the
calendar.The poem features a parliament, or assembly, of birds, which have
gathered together in order to choose their mates.
3. The House of Fame:
Although it’s nowhere near as long as The Canterbury Tales, The House of
Fame is still a substantial work, in which the poet falls asleep and dreams he’s in
a glass temple adorned with images of glorious and famous people from history
(including the poets Ovid and Virgil). This prompts Chaucer to consider what
fame actually is, and the relationship between poets and fame.

7. CANTERBURY TALES
The Canterbury Tales was begun in the mid-1380s and
remained unfinished upon Chaucer’s death in 1400.
To begin with his General Prologue, in which he sets
the scene – a group of pilgrims travelling from London
to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket –
and introduces his cast of colourful characters,
including a monk, knight, miller, reeve, manciple,
prioress, nun’s priest, and, of course, the Wife of Bath.
It is story of a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury
Cathedral compete in a storytelling contest.
This overarching plot, or frame, provides a reason for
the pilgrims to tell their stories, which reflect the
concerns sparked by the social upheavals of late
medieval England.

8. WHAT MAKES HIM
PROMINENT?
Humour of Chaucer:
He is regarded as the first great English humorist.No English
literary work before him revealed humour in the modern sense. Chaucer’s
humour is always sympathetic. His understanding sympathy made him
alive. In fact, Chaucer’s humour is natural and spontaneous. After all, he
was the poet of man and he had large humanity.
Chaucer's Narrative Art:
Chaucer stands successfully in his power of description. His
description and narrative gifts possess rare qualities. In fact, he is the first
great English story teller in verse. The employment of verse is Chaucer’s
notable contribution. In his stories the narration is straight forward and
unhampered. He introduces humour in his narration. “The Canterbury
Tales” is a collection of narrated story. As a poet Chaucer’s greatness is
strongly founded. The power of telling story is supremely well. He is one
of the world’s three or four story tellers.
Dramatic element:
Actually Chaucer is a dramatist. His characters are not
dolls(puppets) but men and women of flesh and blood. His characters are
full of vitality. His method of narration is dramatic. His characters talk in a
dramatic manner.

9. NATIONAL POET AND
FATHER OF ENGLISH
POETRY
The first great national poet:
Chaucer was the first great national poet. He expressed the new hopes and aspiration of the people of
his times. The foundation of Chaucer’s art lies in English life and character.
Chaucer as a father of English poetry:
He was called the father of English poetry by John Dryden, because Chaucer made it cool to use
English rather than traditional Latin in artistic writing.Two common languages before Chaucer were Latin and
French. Chaucer started writing at that time when there was no proper English dialect.
It is astonishing that he did not study English literature nor did he learn anything from anyone because
English literature was not available at that time. Still his work makes him a brilliant poet. We must say that he
was a brilliant man and had a God gifted quality of writing poetry. He gathered vocabulary of Middle English
dialect and started writing poetry in it due to which we call Chaucer father of English poetry, language and
literature. “The Canterbury Tales” is remarkable example of it. It fulfills every characteristic of poetry and
entitles Chaucer as “Father of English Poetry”.

10. He was not the first poet in literature, however, he was first among
English writers. At that time, English people were interested in reading
literature especially poetry but poetry in their language was not available. It
was because, English language was not developed to that extent that a poet
could write poetry in it.Also Before the fourteenth-century, the vast majority
of literary writing in England was done in Latin or French—same for
government documentation and parliamentary debate and the language of
court.After Chaucer’s life, English had become acceptable for high brow
purposes.
At last we can say that he is the earliest of great moderns. He stands
alone and no one climbs equally with him for two hundred years. English
language and literature became full maturity with Chaucer. Chaucer took
that responsibility of providing literature in English language.

11. Interesting Literature . n.d. December 2021.
<https://interestingliterature.com/2019/11/the-best-fourteenth-
century-poems-everyone-should-read/>.
Long, William J. English Literature. Project Gutenberg, 2004.Â
Sagapam, Athoiba . Chaucer. 30 August 2019. SCRIBD. December
2021. <https://www.scribd.com/document/423766533/Chaucer-
docx>.
The world of Chaucer. 2010. UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW. December
2021.
<https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/exhibns/chauc
er/works.html>.
CITATION:

12. “Time and Tide wait for None.”
–Geoffrey Chaucer
THANK YOU
HAVE A NICE DAY:)