Geoffrey chaucer

Geoffrey chaucer 

a poet of

medieavalion age.

Chaucer was born around 1340. He belonged to prosperous family. His father was John chaucer,a wine importer. His mother's name was Agnes Copton and his birth place was in themes Street. He had seen royal authorities even in the realms of Edward 3, recharge second, and Henry IV, as a man of and it helped him in his growth as a poet also.

Chaucer was not only a poet but also the soldier as well. In 3059 To 3060, as a soldier he served in France during the hundred year's  war. He was married in 1366 to Philippa roet .it  is said from 1368 to 1387 he visited France and Italy in diplomatic missions. Chaucer's wife died in 1387 leaving behind two sons and a daughter. In 1400 he died and buried in West minister abbey.

Chaucer's literary contribution is divided into three periods;

The French period 1355- 1370

The Italian period  1371-1385

The English period 1386-1400

The French period

Under the French influence chaucer wrote two poems of great merit. The romance of the rose and the book of the duchess. The romance of the rose is a symbolical poem in which the rose symbolises love and its various pleasures.

The book of the duchess presents the poets' tribute to John of gaunt's first wife.

The Italian period

In Itely chaucer introduced to some famous poets like Dante and boccaccio they influenced him. Troilus and cressida is a best poem of this period. It is a love story that goes back to the Trojan war.

'The house of fame' is a dream poem the dream begins in a temple of Venus. A great golden eagle takes the dreamer to the house of fame.

'The parliament of fouls' is an allegorical dream poem.

'The legend of good women' deals with the life of great heroines like Cleopatra, Thisbe and Dido. It is the first poem in English that is composed in heroic couplet.

The English period

Chaucer's greatest literary contribution is the Canterbury tales for which the credit goes to the period. Chaucer wrote its prologue also that in itself has become a milestone and is regarded as a historical document telling about the life of English people in the second half of the 14th century. Unfortunately chaucer died before completing Canterbury tales.

Chaucer composed few minor points like the former age, fortune, truth, gentilesse and lack of stead fastnesse.

Chaucer's contribution

Chaucer's great achievement that he gave new themes to English poetry . He introduced two new metres,the seven line stanza and the 10 are 11 syllables couplet that suited the most to narrative poetry.