Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer ( ? - 1400) was an English poet and author, most known for Canterbury Tales.
- Geoffrey Chaucer: British LibraryWhile many writers of the Middle Ages, such as Marie de France or the Gawain-poet, remain obscure or anonymous Geoffrey Chaucer is a different case. As well as being – arguably – the greatest poet of the Middle English period, he was also a public servant who worked as a soldier, diplomat, comptroller of customs, justice of the peace, clerk of works and a forest official – so his life is well represented in surviving documents.
- Geoffrey Chaucer: Poetry FoundationGeoffrey Chaucer was born between the years 1340-1345, the son of John and Agnes (de Copton) Chaucer. Chaucer was descended from two generations of wealthy vintners who had everything but a title and in 1357 Chaucer began pursuing a position at court.
- Geoffrey Chaucer: Poets.orgGeoffrey Chaucer was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344 to John Chaucer and Agnes Copton.
Research & Reference
- Geoffrey Chaucer: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on Geoffrey Chaucer. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.
Streaming Media
- Chaucer: Road to CanterburyThis video covers the life of English author, poet, philosopher, courtier, and diplomat Geoffrey Chaucer to middle age. Chaucer's 14th-century saw him survive the Black Death as a child, the plague that wiped out a third of the population of Europe, and become actively involved, both as a soldier and later as a secret agent, in the 100 Years' War—a war that was to leave England devastated. Despite these man-made and natural catastrophes, English literature went through a short Renaissance, and the program hints as to why this might have happened while considering the leading role that Chaucer was to play in it. Terry Jones (Monty Python) stars.
- Chaucer and the Rise of EnglishA journey through some selected works, including "Piers Ploughman" and "The Canterbury Tales", highlights the rise of vernacular English poetry in the 14th century, with English also becoming a principle vehicle for religious writing.
- Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury TalesWritten in the 14th century, The Canterbury Tales has stood the test of time as a landmark in the development of English literature. This innovative "frame story" owes its classic standing and impact to the diversity both of the narrators and of the styles of tales they tell. In this program, expert commentators Dr. Christiania Whitehead and Dr. Peter Mack, both of the University of Warwick, discuss the tradition of 14th-century poetry, the General Prologue, Chaucer’s social grouping of the pilgrims and the themes they explore, and the poem as a reflection of medieval English society. Dramatic reenactments of the pilgrims on horseback and numerous period images help bring the tales to life.
Perspectives
The Canterbury Tales
One spring day, 30 pilgrims set off from an inn in Southwark for a shrine in Canterbury. The inn keeper offers a free dinner, on their return, to the person who can tell the best story. So begins an assortment of tales from such varied characters as the Knight, the Wife of Bath and the Miller.