* (1343-25th oct1400)

*
Geoffrey Chaucer is
known is the father of
English literature.
Geoffrey Chaucer is the
first great landmark in
English literature.

*
*Chaucer was born in London
, entered the services of the duchess
of Clarence, served abroad as a
soldier, was captured and ransomed
and then entered the royal services.
In succession , he served three kings
-

*
*
*
*
*He seems to have
prospered, for a large
amount of royal favor came
his way. He was buried in
what came to be known as
the poet’s corner of
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
*
Chaucer lived in an age which was Epoch-making in
religious, social and political planes. The victories of the
English army in the continent made Calais an English colony
and the nation prosperous . The disasters which came after
the victories helped in ripening the English mind. Under these
circumstances, Chaucer is the perfect exponent of his age. He
has painted with great fidelity, the body and soul of the society
of his time. His poetry reflects the14th century not in fragments
but as a complete whole.

*
He is the most comprehensive soul, and
he takes a full view of the wide and
variegated life of his times. As Compton-
rickett remarks: “Chaucer symbolishes , as
no other writer does, the middle ages. He
stand in much the same relation to the life
of his time as pope does to the earlier
phases of the eighteenth century, and
Tennyson to the Victorian Era ; and his
place in English literature is even more
important than theirs………………..
Chaucer is considered the first poet of the
middle ages , Like Dante , Chaucer is a bridge
between the middle ages and renaissance . If
the modern world had begun to assert itself , the
medieval world had by no means passed away .
Side by side they stood , the old and the new .
Chaucer represent them both , He is romantic;
He is realistic . He is modern among medieval
and a medieval among modern . “He is a child
of light not merely of twilight” .

*
 *
The most important thing that Chaucer did for
English poetry was to bring a healthy realism to it
. He brought poetry to nature or reality . He was
the first poet who revealed the truth about life as
he saw it . Before him , the writer were dreaming
and weaving allegories . He didn’t record the
superficial view of the life of his own day . His
acquaintance with life was wide and
comprehensive.
Because of the catholic mind , he painted life as he
saw it ; and saw it minutely , that his epoch has
become a vivid epochs of history comparable
even to the age of Shakespeare .
Chaucer was a man of the world , mixing freely
with all types of mankind and he used his
opportunities to observe the little peculiarities of
human nature . He had the sharp eye, retentive
memory, the judgment to select , and the
capacity to expound. Thus his description is very
real and brilliant.
Chaucer is one of the great painter in words. His aim in
writing verse, one may say even his sole aim, was poetry
for its own sake. He had no wish to influence his
contemporaries, nor to reform morals, nor to evolve any
system or philosophy. He had set before himself an
artistic ideal, and knowing how crude were the attempts
of his predecessors, He applied himself heart and soul to
its fulfillment.

*
Chaucer’s art of story telling has been praised by
several critics. He has been called one of the there or four
great story teller of the world. He use romance and
adventure stories, or chivalric tales, beast fables, stories
of saints and examplory stories with a moral. whatever
type he chooses, he gives his own touch of genius to it.
He transforms the old tales into something unique and
fresh.

*
 *
*Chaucer is an English humor. It is not
the “wit” of Frenchman. Chaucer’s
humor is born of a strong common
sense and a generous sympathy, and
these are the qualities of the great
English humorist like Shakespear and
fielding.
*The work of Chaucer are
roughly divided into three
classes, corresponding to
the three periods of his
life.
*
*
 *
*Which was of 30 years, include has youth and manhood in
which time he was influenced almost exclusively by French
literary models therefore this period is called French period.
*In this period he made a translation of THE ROMANCE Of
THE ROSE – from the famous very long poem LE ROMAN
DE LA ROSE.
*BOOK OF DUCHESS (dramatic and emotional power)
, written after the death of Blaunche, wife of Chaucer
patron, john of gaunt.
*Other minor poem of Chaucer are
*THE COMPLAINT UNTO PITY,
*THE COMPLIANT OF MARS,
*QUEEN ANELIDA AND
*THE ABC.
*
*WHICH WAS OF 15 YEARS.
*In this period he made his first official visit to Italy; to arrange a
commercial treaty with genoa, and from this time is noticeable a
rapid development in his literary power and the prominence of
Italian literary influence.
*The chief work of this period,
*TROILUS AND CRESEYDE (8000 line poem),
*PALAMON AND ARCITE, known is the KNIGHT’S TALE,
*THE HOUSE OF FAME,
*DANTE’s DIVINE COMEDY.

*
*
 *Chaucer’s master piece
“THE CANTERBURY
TALES” one of the most
famous work in all
literature fills the third or
English period of his life.
*Chaucer succeeded in his purpose so well
that in the Canterbury tales, He has given
us a picture of Contemprary English life, its
work and play, its deeds and dreams, its fun
and sympathy, and hearty joy of living, such
*
equaled.
as no other single work of literature ever
*
 *Now even if we consider Chaucer
only as a humorist, he was in this
very exact sense of great
humorist……I mean a humorist in the
grand style; a humorist whose broad
outlook embraced the world as a
whole, and saw even great humanity
against a background of great
things……..

*
*Satire is a frequent
weapon of Chaucer
, but it is always
gentle, seldom
severe, and never
savage.*
*The year in which Chaucer was growing up
were a critical period for the English for the
English language…..it was surely his abstinence
from this folly, not any idea that he had passed
judgement in the spirit of philologist on the
English of his own day that won for
Chaucer, spencer’s praise of him as a “WELL
OF ENGLISH UNDEFILED”.

*
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