English 10, Mrs. DiSalvo
 Born between 1340 and 1343, probably in London, to a fairly
well-off family of merchants.
 The name “Chaucer” comes from a French word for
shoemaker.
 Worked as an attendant for Prince Lionel’s wife and
learned the customs of upper-class life.
 Met John of Gaunt (Lionel’s younger brother) who became
a lifelong patron of Chaucer’s work.
 Fought in the Hundred Years’ War as a teenager. Later he
served as a royal messenger.
 Married Philippa, a lady in waiting to the queen in 1374.
 Chaucer was one of the first writers to show that
English was a respectable literary language in a time
when French was the predominant language.
 Exposed to French and Italian literature while
traveling abroad, influencing his own writing.
 Earliest piece was a translation of The Romance of the
Rose.
 Wrote The Book of the Duchess, a long narrative poem.
 The House of Fame was a humorous narrative.
 Chaucer’s primary career remained one of politics and
diplomacy.
 Wrote The Parliament of Fowls to commemorate
Richard II’s marriage to Anne of Bohemia in 1382.
 Appointed a knight of the shire and became a member
of Parliament in 1386.
 The last 20 years of Chaucer’s life were his most productive.
 Chaucer’s finest literary achievements were Troilus and
Criseyde and The Canterbury Tales.
 Began organizing The Canterbury Tales about 1387, but the
story was not finished before Chaucer’s death.
 The Canterbury Tales are stories told by a group of travelers
journeying from London to Canterbury.
 Chaucer portrays himself as a “short, plump, slightly foolish
pilgrim who commands no great respect.” But he remains
one of the most respected poets in the English Language.
 Died in 1400 and buried in London’s Westminster
Abbey – a true honor for a commoner.
 An elaborate marble tomb was placed at his grave,
beginning Westminster Abbey’s famous Poet’s Corner,
where numerous other English writers have been
buried.
 Characters brought together for the first time: All of
Medieval Society
 Feudal = land related
 Ecclesiastical = church related
 Urban = city traders
 Written in heroic couplets: two rhyming lines written
in iambic pentameter
Applebee et al., eds. “Author Study: Geoffrey Chaucer.”
The Language of Literature: British Literature. Eds.
Applebee et al. Boston: McDougal Littell, 2000. Print.