Chaucer the man, age and works

1. GEOFFREY CHAUCER
FATHER OF ENGLISH POETRY
BY,
ANKHITHA A
ST MARY’S COLLEGE
MANARCAUD

2. GEOFFREY CHAUCER (1340-1400)
• Born on the reign of EDWARD III
• Lived through that of RICHARD II
• Died the year after HENTRY IV
• Father of English poetry
• Grand father of English novel

3. POETICAL WORKS OF CHAUCER
• Poetical works are broadly divided into three classes coresponding the three
periods of life
▫ FRENCH PERIOD(1359-72)
▫ Influenced by French masters such as Machaut, Guillaume, Delloris
and Jean de meung
▫ Main works of this period
▫ “THE REMOUNT OF THE ROSE”,a lengthy poem- 7700 lines
▫ “DEATHE OF BLANCHE THE DUCHESSE” better known as “BOKE
OF THE DUCHESSE”

4. ITALIAN PERIOD
• influenced by Dnate,Petrarch and Boccaccio
• main works of this perod:
• “TROILUS AND CRECIDE”- a poem of 8200
lines
• “THE HOUSE OF FAME”- a poem in
octosyllabic couplets,an allegory of dreamy type-
exquisit combination of lofty thought and simply
homely language

5. • “ THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN “ - great
skill and freedom in expressing heroic couplet
narrated tales of eight virtuous women of
antiquity- remarkable for their chastity ,sincerity
and devotion to love
• Two other poems –”ANELIDA AND ARCITE”,
“THE PARLIAMENT OF FOULS”

6. THE ENGLISH PERIOD (1386-1400)
• belongs Chaucer’s masterpiece and monumental work
“THE CANTERBURY TALES”
• 29 pigrims including Chaucer himself meet in Tabard-
inn,in Southwark - settimg out for a pilgrimage to the
tomb of Thomas Becket at Cnaterbury
• Pilgrim is required to narrate two stories on the outward
and two on the return
• Chaucer could finish only 20 and left 4 in an incomplete
state

7. CHAUCER’S REALISM
• represents his own age - holds the mirror to
life of his time
• Social chronicle of England in the 14th C
• poetry reflects 14th C not in fragments but as a
complete whole
• he directs his comprehensive gaze not on one
aspect only of his times but on all its wide and
variegated life

8. • He is the wider and capacious soul
• Takes a fuller view of his times mere than any
one else could have taken in those days
• Direct transcription of reality
• Symbolises the Middle ages

9. CHAUCER,THE REALIST
• was a realist -revealed the truth about life as he
saw it
• Realism primarly comes out in the setting “THE
CANTERBURY TALES”
• Solid touch of realism in portrayel of characters
• Realistically present the picture of the real world
of the 14th C

10. CHAUCER’S ART OF CHARACTERISATION
• First great painter of character in English
literature
• Employs poetry with tolerent curiosity to the
sudy of men and manners
• 30 pilgrims representing all types and shades of
14th C society
• Picture gallery of 14th C

11. • Presents characters with minute details about their
dress,physical features ,habits,peculiar manners
and idiosyncracies
• Knight and his Son- war like elements-heroes
• Man of law, Doctor,Oxford clerck,Poet – learned
and liberal professions
• The Merchant and Shipman- commercial
community

12. • Wife of Bath –expert cloth maker
• Hair dresser- smaller trade
• Plough man, Miller, Franklin- agriculture
• Manciple, Reeve- upper servants of society
• Yoeman ,Cook- lower circle
• Monk, Prioress, Parson,Frair,Pardoner, and
Summoner - ecclesiastical order
• There is a universal touch in Chaucer’s character

13. CHAUCER’S HUMOUR
• born humourist – master of humour and irony –
first true humourist in english literature
• Mansfield calls him “a great Renaissance gentle
man mocking the middle ages”
• humour is esentially English in character

14. • He refers to himself as a simple unlettered man
“my wit is short/ye may wel understood”
• No one can deny it

15. CHAUCER’S LANGUAGE
• Found English as a dialect –East midland dialect
was the simplest in grammatical structure
• Left it a language wel fitted to express the finest
thought of literary artist of his time
• Imported words from French
• Heralded as the first national poet who gave to
the people a language so reformed and reshaped

16. CHAUCER’S VERSIFICATION
• Only known form of versification known to the
people of England before Chaucer was
“alleteration”
• Chaucer had no love for alleterative verse
• “RHYME OF SIR THOPAS”-dogged rhyme
• Chaucer’s poetry is extremely musical and must
be judged by the ear rather than by the eye

17. CHAUCER’S PLACE IN ENGLISH
LITERATURE
• Great not only by historical position but also by
his genius
• Fresh ness and simplicity of style - gentle
humour -quaint fun -hearty praise of what is
good and true
• Kindly redicule of weakness and folliesv –
earnest denunciation of injustice and oppression
are among his most marked characteristics

18. THANK YOU