Chaucer
(1340-1400)
Ø He was born in
London and his father was wine merchant.
Ø He was the
writer of Middle English period.
Ø He is father of
English Poetry and English Literature and grandfather of novel.
Ø H e was first
poet buried in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Ø He has seen
three kings: Edward III, Richard II, and
Henry IV.
Ø His writing
periods are three: French, Italian and English.
Ø He was servant or
page to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster(wife of Prince Lionel).
Ø He participated
in 100 years war held between England and France.
Ø He was freed
from French army at the @ 16 Pounds by King Edward III.
Ø He joined Royal
Services.
Ø He traveled for
diplomatic missions to France, Spain and Italy.
Ø He became the
Comptroller of Customs of England.
Ø He married with
Philippa Roet in 1366.
Ø He was
commissioner of Justice of Peace to the King.
Ø He becomes
Member of Parliament.
Ø He made the
Midland dialect the main language of England.
Ø He introduced
Rime Royal Form in his poetry.
Ø He was an
observer, storyteller and satirist in his works.
Ø He was a
reformer and his themes of works are morality.
Ø He was first
national poet of England.
Ø He meets with
Petrarch and Boccacio when he went to Italy on diplomat tour.
Ø He was the first
to use Ottava Rime in “The Book of The Duchess”.
Ø He was the first
to use heroic couplet in “The Legends of Good Women”.
Ø He was the first
to use Rhyme Royal or Chaucerian stanza in Troilus and Cressida.
Ø His “Troilus and
Cressida” is considered as novel in verse.
Ø Albert called
him “The morning star of Renaissance.”
Ø Dryden called
him “The father of English Poetry”.
Ø Thomas Hoccleve
consider him “the first of tedere of our fair language”.
Ø John Dryden said
about him “ a rough diamond, and must first be polished ere he shines” also
says “ Here is God’s plenty”. Dryden also rewrote his “Canterbury Tales in
Modern English”.
Ø Mathew Arnold
says “With Chaucer is born our real poetry”. Also says “Chaucer lacks not only
the accent of Dante but also the high seriousness.” Also says “Chaucer is the
earliest of the great moderns”. Also Arnold called him father of English poetry
after Dryden.
Ø W.J. Long writes
about Canterbury tales as: “the prologue to modern fiction”.
Ø Edmund Spenser calls
him in “Faerie Queenen” as: “Chaucer, well of English undefiled.”
Ø Lowes says
“Chaucer found his native tongue a dialect and left it a language”.
Ø G.K Chesterton
says “if Chaucer is the father of English poetry, he is the grandfather of
English novel”.
Ø Hudson says
“Chaucer was not in any sense a poet of the people”.
Ø Occleve wrote a
poem “The Regiment of Princess” on the death of Chaucer.
Ø William Langland
and Chaucer were closest contemporary and died in same year i.e. 1400.
