***What is Geoffrey Chaucer’s influence on English and English literature?

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 1400) is often described as the founder of English literature. The
reason for this is that his work marks a radical transition in literary history.
Before Chaucer, there were two major types of literary works in English. First, there were
devotional, heroic, and minor works written in Old English, mainly using alliterative meter.
Second, among the educated population, the dominant literary language was Latin, and many
English authors wrote in Latin. After the Norman conquest, while the neo-Latin tradition
continued intact, the English vernacular rapidly shifted due to the French influence, marking a
transition from Old English or Anglo-Saxon to Middle English (the precursor of modern
English).
Chaucer is one of the first and arguably most important poets to create a new vernacular
literature in Middle English. His work, rather than employing Old English accentual meter or the
quantitative meters of classical verse, adapts accentual-syllabic meter to the English vernacular.
His Canterbury Tales are notable for adapting the epic genre to describing the lives of ordinary
people. He also used many new phrases and words, which have since become part of the
common vocabulary of English.
His works combine metrical and generic innovation with the early development of a distinctive
English vernacular literary tradition.
 Chaucer considerably expanded the word-stock of English, being one of the first poets in
the language to utilise its tremendous variety, bringing in words from a variety of languages
which were converging with English during the Middle Ages. Chaucer’s “first instances” of
words include words from Greek, Latin, Arabic, German and French – and the following
regularly-used words: acceptable, altercation, annoyance, arbitration, army, arrogant, arsenic,
arc, and aspect.
 Chaucer made several metrical innovations to the way poetry and verse were written in
English.
 He was one of the first poets to consistently break out of the medieval alliterative
tradition and write in accentual-syllabic metre (lines constructed around both the number
of syllablesand where the accents on those lines fall).
 Chaucer was one of the first to use the five-stress line, which led the way to the
iambic pentameter of Shakespeare and Marlowe. “The Legend of Good Women” is one of
the first times five-stress lines appear in rhyming couplets – a form which then became a
norm in English poetry.
***Please discuss the contributions of Chaucer as the architect of Modern English.
After the Norman Conquest of 1066 in which William the Conqueror of Normandy (part of
France) and his Norman noblemen eradicated Harold of Hastings and the Saxon nobles, French
became the official language in England.  All written works were put in French including
literature.  (For instance, the Arthurian Legends are in French).
Then, Geoffrey Chaucer, whose last name is the French form of the word shoemaker, came along
in the second half of the thirteenth century (1343-1400).  Chaucer, who was bilingual, as were
many in his time, was greatly influenced with the matter and style of French poetry.  However,
when he realized how people of his time delighted in stories, he gave these to them.  Thus, the
Canterbury Tales began.  Perhaps because this work is about the pilgrims whom Chaucer had
observed so often in England, he put the tale in their language of usage.  Also, there was a bias
toward French and an English work could be easily more popular.
According to luminarian.org, Chaucer’s influence on the English language is overrated as it was
a natural progression for the written language to become English.  Nevertheless, the tremendous
popularity of “Canterbury Tales” certainly contributed to this progression.  His assigning of full
value to every syllable in the lines in Canterbury Tales had to have had an effect upon the
development of Modern English.  Certainly, too, the vocabulary and meanings of words that
have originated from French are present in his works; many of these words remain in Modern
English (60% of the words in Modern English originate from French).
Chaucer is also known for metric innovation.  It is he who initiated the use of iambic pentameter
into popular works.  He also employed rhyming couplets.  His poetry is credited with helping to
standardize the London dialect of Middle English, although some linguistics think that the
influence of the court was a more powerful influence on the changes made.  The Oxford English
Dictionary credits Chaucer, with his ear for common speech, as employing many current English
words into his works, thus furthering the development of Modern English by way of Middle
English.  Of course, the fact that “The Canterbury Tales” was one of the first books to be
published and widely read has contributed to the powerful influence of Chaucer upon the English
language.
 
***Why does Chaucer’s technique of characterization differ from character to character?
In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer primarily utilizes indirect methods of
characterization in characterizing the various pilgrims in the General Prologue and throughout
the entire poem. Unlike direct characterization in which the narrator clearly tells the reader what
kind of personality a character has, indirect characterization allows the reader to form his or her
own opinion of the character in question. In other words, the difference between direct
characterization and indirect characterization is the difference between telling and showing
respectively.
Throughout The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer relies primarily upon five techniques of indirect
characterization. In the first technique, Chaucer describes the physical appearance of the
character and this description allows the reader to form a clear impression about the character.
For example, the Yeoman’s clothing leads the reader to view him as being prepared for any
circumstance while the Summoner’s gross facial features clearly leave the reader with a negative
impression. Another method of indirect characterization can be found when Chaucer shows the
reader the reaction of other characters in the narrative to the character being described. Children
being afraid of the Summoner’s appearance would be a good example of this method. Other
methods that Chaucer uses include the actions, dialogue, and personal thoughts of the various
characters in the poem. A careful reading of the poem will allow one to clearly see these methods
being effectively used as well.
***What three jobs did Geoffrey Chaucer have?
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343?-1400), during his life, worked as a page in a royal house, a soldier, a
diplomat, and a royal clerk, according to the text book I use to teach Brit. Lit. (Prentice Hall).
Of course, his most well-known “job” was poet.  For fun, here’s a quote from John
Gardner’s The Life and Times of Chaucer:
In 1374, immediately after John of Gaunt’s return to England from abroad, honours began falling
to the poet thick and fast.  On St. George’s Day, the great time of religious and chivalric
celebration for the Order of the Garter, the king granted him a pitcher of wine for life, a gift
commuted in 1378 to cash.  (204)
On a more serious note, as a soldier Chaucer was once captured and held for ransom, and the
reigning monarch actually paid it.
***Tell me about the age of Chaucer?
Chaucer was born in the late 1340s, 14th century England. Medieval feudalism was the way of
life, where land was either rented from a landlord or inherited, and the printing press had still not
being created, for which The Canterbury Tales were at first circulated in original hand-written
manuscripts.
Life in the early 14th century was hard, because the poorer classes had not choice but to remain
so. There was no middle class, and the upper classes debauched in wealth. However, something
happened that changed everything: The Black Death.
When the Black Death killed 1/3 of the European population, the land, crops, animals, and
properties that were left by strains of entire dead families were taken by the poor who survived,
giving them a chance to live better lives. Slowly, the working class began to be needed, since the
aristocracy did very little for themselves. Paying systems made possible for many working class-
men to build small fortunes, and a middle class was beginning to slowly but surely make way.
Chaucer was one of those lucky Black Death inheritors. He inherited a large estate from dead
relatives and became quite wealthy. He then climbed up the social ladder by serving under King
Edward III, and in the Hundred Years War. During his time, language was also a key elemement.
While the courtiers used French as their official language, the Church used Latin. Chaucer chose
to use English because it was becoming the trend among other poets, but it was mostly spoken
only in London. London was a world of its own back in the day, as the court was in Westminster,
away from the merchant capital.
As far as Chaucer then he grew up among merchants, Black Death victims, the court of King
Edward III, and the Hundred Years War- This shows that he was quite a cosmopolitan, colorful,
and experienced person, good enough to write a tale as Canterbury.  He was a retired man when
he began the Tales in around 1387-1390, making him around his mid 40’s when he wrote them.
At this age, he would have been considered an “old man” but he had a lot under his wing to back
up the Tales.
***Comment on the use of wit, irony and satire in Chaucer’s The Prologue.
In the time that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote ‘The Prologue,’ English society was religious, strict and
superstitious about Hell, but it was also bawdy, rude and disrespectful in certain circles. It is
worth remembering that the classes didn’t often rub shoulders with one another, and that
pilgrimages were often one of the few occasions for a good mix up of people. So here we see
that, in the rule that everyone contributes a story, there is going to be a reflecting mix of taste and
crudity! It was also difficult and dangerous to criticize society and its leaders and churches too
much, so rude tales and sleazy jokes were a perfect opportunity to ‘cock a shook’ at the
establishment under the guise of the anecdotes being other people’s stories! Satire is often used
like this in literature to comment on society’s ills and make readers laugh at and then reflect
upon their own shortcomings in this regard.
 
***Critically examine Geoffrey Chaucer both as a Medieval and a modern poet.
Geoffrey Chaucer is known primarily not only as a poet, but also as a man with an extraordinary
gift of looking at his subjects and the context of the time in which they live to provide an
unparalleled vision into the daily existence of medieval persons from all walks of life and social
strata. His “shrewd observations” brought alive some of literature’s most memorable characters.
Though Chaucer came from humble beginnings himself, the variety of professions in which he
was employed exposed him to all kinds of people. It was, however, his keen sense of observation
through which he was able to make the best use of his myriad of experiences.
Another compelling aspect of Chaucer’s work is that rather than writing in the language popular
to the time (Latin—the Roman Church’s language) or French (the language of royalty and
nobility—after the conclusion of Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror around
1066), Chaucer wrote in the language of Middle English allowing that the common people (the
emerging middle class) would have access to his work.
And if that is not enough, Chaucer was completely honest about what he witnessed in the
behaviors of a wide variety of people from many classes.
For instance, in The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, the Knight is held up as a man
of humility and nobility of character. He fought for what he believed in as if it were his life’s
breath, but rather than receiving accolades for his work, he returned home to immediately take a
pilgrimage in order to give thanks to God. Chaucer greatly admires the Knight:
There with us was a KNIGHT, a worthy man
Who, from the very first time he began
To ride about, loved honor, chivalry,
The spirit of giving, truth and courtesy.
On the other hand, Chaucer was also brutally honest about the servants of the Church. All but
one of his characters that serve the Church demonstrates the worst possible behavior.
The Pardoner, for example, sells “hot” (stolen) pardons, to the poorest of people—most living
in poverty—which believe their sins will be forgiven for purchasing the pardons. Also:
…in his bag he had a pillowcase
That used to be, he said, Our Lady’s veil;
He claimed he had a fragment of the sail
That took Saint Peter out upon the sea
Before Christ called him to his ministry…
The Friar is more interested in the ladies, and in hunting and singing. As servants of the Church
were expected to put away worldly goods and practices and serve as shepherds to God’s flock,
neither the Friar, the Pardoner nor the Nun (the Prioress) does so. Only the Parson was a worthy
man of the Church. Chaucer allows the reader to see that though he has little, he gives what he
has to the poor, following the true meaning of the “servant” to his flock.
However, in the manner of a true and gifted poet, Chaucer never tells the members of his
audience what they should think. He presents the facts and allows the reader to draw his/her own
conclusions regarding the characters he presents.
In terms of Chaucer’s work from a structural standpoint, Chaucer specifically uses the
pilgrimage as a framework: for this was perhaps the only event of that era when people of all
backgrounds and classes would come together, enabling the author to present to the reader with a
brilliant cross-section of society at that time.
Chaucer also changed the structure of the poem, something that would impact writers for
generations to come:
Chaucer’s [poetic] practice established accentual syllabic meter as the norm of English verse for
five centuries thereafter. Beginning with the four-stress lines of The Book of the
Duchess and The House of Fame…Chaucer developed the five-stress line which became the
backbone of the major poetry of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Alexander Pope, William
Wordsworth, and many others.
Chaucer changed the face of literature, impacting what it has become for the modern-day poet.
He was not afraid to be honest to his craft. He did not follow the prescribed methods of the day:
he wrote in a language accessible to the masses. He inferred; he did not tell his reader what to
think. (Chaucer pretends to be one of the members of the pilgrimage, thereby making himself a
more credible source for his readers to offer his observations—another way in which he shows
that he is a maverick of his day.) Additionally, Chaucer’s diction (word choice) more easily
allows the reader to weigh the character of each member of the pilgrimage. In this way, there
was room for discussion and interpretation. He also introduces the use of a meter (rhythmic
pattern) unfamiliar to audiences up to that point.
Chaucer is a modern poet in that he is not afraid to try something different. Also he is able to
provide barely perceptible nuances that delve into the deepest and truest dispositions of his
subjects. He uses excellent sensory details to create a world for the reader that is unfamiliar—
moreover, he is able to bring to life (without personal judgment) characters that fairly fly off of
the page.
In defining modern poetry, Kenneth Goldsmith, in his article entitled, “The Challenges of
Twenty-first Century Writing,” he notes:
Success lies in knowing what to include and — more important — what to leave out […] While
all words may be created equal — and treated thusly — the way in which they’re assembled
isn’t; it’s impossible to suspend judgment and folly to dismiss quality.
By referring to these more modern perceptions—even expectations—of a poet’s responsibilities
to his/her art, Chaucer (who started a new movement in poetry that influenced so many great
authors that would follow him) seems to live up to these expectations. Perhaps it is because of
the example that he set, that modern poets have such high expectancies. I believe that Chaucer
would commend them for their efforts.
***Compare “The Pardoners Tale” and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” to discuss which should
win the contest Harry Bailey proposes at the end of the prologue.
At the end of the prologue, Harry Barry proposes that “whose story is best told/That is to say
who gives the fullest measure/ Of good morality and general pleasure” (lines 816-819) will get a
post-pilgrimage supper paid for by the others.
In Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, both the Wife of Bath’s tale and the Pardoner’s tale are
stories that present us with a good moral message. The moral in Wife of Bath’s tale is that real
beauty can’t be judged from just looking at the outer appearance, and in the Pardoner’s tale it is
that excess of any thing, especially greed, is disastrous.
Let us look at the Wife of Bath’s tale first. We notice that the tale arrives at its actual moral
message rather adventitiously at the end. The Knight feels miserable after marrying an old and
ugly woman, but then, things change to “happy ever after” upon the transformation of the old
woman into a young, beautiful woman. Instead of helping us get to know that the nature of outer
beauty is ephemeral, worthless and hollow; the story advocates this fact indirectly. Had the old
woman not undergone this transformation, there wouldn’t be eternal harmony and happiness in
the marriage. Besides, the correct answer given by Knight to the old woman doesn’t highlight his
true knowledge or wisdom. It seems that he has just learned to tackle women in general now.
The Knight committed a heinous crime of using his authority to rape a young maiden, but he
isn’t actually given a punishment. And the fact that women in the court avert his punishment
doesn’t impress us either. Besides, the answer to the “life saving” question to be found out by the
Knight in a year’s time is very subjective.
 There is, however, an element of surprise in the story when the Knight discovers the true answer
to the question just at the eleventh hour that will save him and also when the old woman
transforms into a young maiden. Things like these hold the audience’s attention. This technique
adds the elements of folklore also. There are magical elements in the story like the
transformation of the old, ugly woman into a beautiful, young maiden that are equally fascinating
and reveling. There is also a short mention of Ovid’s tale. In terms of general pleasure, I think
the Wife of Bath’s tale deserves to win.
The plot of the Pardoner’s tale is rather predictable, but the careful use of the “death” metaphor
makes it interesting. Young, rebellious men looking for “Death” is ironical. Though the men are
outraged by “Death” who seems to have killed one of their friends, we see none of them is, in
actual terms, sensitive and loyal to each other. Upon the discovery of huge amount of gold, no
one is in favour of equal distribution. Excessive amount of material greed brings death to
everyone in the end. While the end is overwhelming, it brings a moment of deep and sound
reflection. So, if we talk about the tale that presents a good moral message in the best way, it will
be the Pardoner’s tale.
***What are some of the primary features of Chaucer’s characterization in The
Canterbury Tales?
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer characterizes each of the pilgrims using a similar structure.
1. Apparel–Chaucer’s description of each pilgrim inThe Prologue often begins with notes
about the character’s clothing. When introducing the Merchant, Chaucer notes that he has
“Upon his head a Flemish beaver hat; / His boots were fastened rather elegantly. . .” (“The
Merchant,” 3-4).
These notations about the characters’ clothing allow the reader to determine early on which
social class the character represents (or hopes to represents) and his or her priorities.
2. Physical Features–At times, Chaucer includes his description of the character’s physical
features with his or her clothing. For some of the pilgrims, the poet relies upon Medieval
superstitions regarding bodily fluids (The Humours) to illuminate a pilgrim’s vices. When
describing the Cook, the author mixes phrases about his dishes with an image of his sore. The
narrator confesses,
“But very ill it was, it seemed to me, / That on his shin a deadly sore had he . . .” (“The Cook,” 7-
8).
By choosing to give the characters often grotesque or unwanted physical features, Chaucer is
able to illuminate quickly and effectively the character’s moral nature.
3. Juxtaposition–The poet also uses juxtaposition to demonstrate the hypocrisy found in
people from each Medieval social class. The “clerical” characters, such as the prioress and the
monk, should be devoted to charity, and yet the prioress relishes fine food and clothing, and
the monk–who should have taken a vow of poverty, spares no expense when purchasing
horses and greyhounds for hunting (“The Monk,” 26-28). Chaucer’s choice to position
comments about the characters’ profession right before snide remarks about their vices
enhances his satire of those pilgrims.
Throughout The Prologue, Chaucer is an equal opportunity critic. He includes problematic
pilgrims from the noble, merchant, and church “estates” and spares practically no occupation
from his satire.
***Why has Chaucer been regarded as the Father of English poetry?
Considered the preeminent English poet of the Middle Ages, Geoffrey Chaucer was well versed
in other languages; in fact, he translated two tremendously influential works from Latin and Old
French into Middle English. And, while he was not veritably the only one who wrote poetry in
English, he was extremely influential in promoting English from something other than the
“vulgar” language that it was considered to be.  His poetry that reflects Latin, Italian, and French
sources–he wrote much French poetry–evolved into the verses that he wrote for The Canterbury
Tales.   Clearly, his remaking of French, Latin, and Italian sources and treatment of secular and
religious allegory into his delightful tales brings the vernacular of English in The Canterbury
Tales to a new respectability.  Perhaps, then, for this reason, that he brought legitimacy to the
vernacular English when the dominant literary languages were Latin and French, Chaucer is
somewhat mistakenly credited with being “The Father of English Poetry.”
With the publication of The Canterbury Tales in English, then, Chaucer made a strong
contribution to shaping English literature. With English, Chaucer realistically shaped the speech
of the pilgrims while also realistically satirizing their manners, thus creating what was to become
a popular literature among people of the same social types. In short, Chaucer brought literature to
all levels of society, not just the nobilty and elite.
In addition, Chaucer experimented with different forms of verse,
…establishing a decasyllabic line that, to become the iambic pentameter of the sonnet, blank
verse, and heroic couplet, is English poetry’s most enduring line.
This experimentation which left a lasting mark upon English poetry is a contribution of
Chaucer’s that is also cause for considering him the father of English poetry.
***Who were the main writers that influenced the Age of Chaucer?
Obviously, the most influential English writer during the age of Chaucer (basically, the second
half of the fourteenth century) was Chaucer himself. He published the immortal (but
incomplete) The Canterbury Tales in 1400, the year of his death, and the collection of stories
became widely admired and very influential.
Other influential English writers of the period include William Langland, who is credited with
writing Piers Plowman sometime around the 1370s, and John Mandeville, whose quasi-fantasy
account entitled The Travels of John Mandeville depicted the author’s journeys through the
Middle East and beyond. The “Pearl Poet,” the unknown author of a poem by that title as well as,
probably, the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is also a well-known writer from the
period.
Other writers who were influential among learned circles in England included the Italian writer
Giovanni Bocaccio, whose Decameron influenced The Canterbury Tales; and Petrarch, whose
writings are actually mentioned by Chaucer.
***Who were the main writers during the age of Chaucer and list one of their literary
works?
Geoffrey Chaucer lived from 1343-1400 and wrote The Canterbury Tales among other works of
art. Other who lived and wrote during his lifetime were Giovanni Boccaccio, (1313-1375) who
wrote The Decameron; Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321) who wrote The Divine Comedy; and,
Francesco Petrarca, (or Petrarch, 1304-1374) who wrote Secretum and The Guide to the Holy
Land. At that time, everyone wrote in poetic form in order to be considered a serious writer.
Form, rhyme, meter and quality of story were regarded as needed skills to create a work of art.
Not only that, but many writers seemed to write from pious hearts. They wrote about one’s
struggle through life in order to get to Heaven; but Chaucer, on the other hand, was one of the
first to practice satire and sarcasm in the face of the church.
***What should be in a conclusion about the age of Chaucer?
The Norton Anthologies of literature always do a good job with summarizing the different
periods on their website and in their textbooks. A link is included below. When writing a
conclusion about the age of Chaucer, one could discuss any similarities and differences from
then and today’s world. For example, Chaucer’s world revolved around the Catholic church, but
not everyone was pious. Is that similar or different from today? Also, one could focus on the
language and how it has evolved since his time and how it is used today. The Medieval world
was dark and very primitive, remember. Technology was at its best with the candle and the
wheel at that time; but even so, Chaucer was able to capture the human condition in a variety of
ways and through a variety of characters. His storytelling abilities must have mirrored the best
types of tales that were told in front of the fireside at night in the homes of peasants and nobles
alike.
***What are literary and intellectual tendencies during the age of Chaucer?
First we should establish what the “Age of Chaucer” is. Chaucer lived during the second half of
the fourteenth century. His life spanned an extraordinarily tumultouous time in English and
European history, one which witnessed the Black Death and the Hundred Years War. Chaucer
himself served in the Hundred Years War.
More importantly, Chaucer represented a growing trend throughout Europe to write in the
vernacular. At a time when most scholarly writing was done in Latin, and it was still a crime to
translate the Bible into the vernacular, as John Wycliffe did during Chaucer’s life, this was an
important stylistic choice that connected Chaucer’s work to a long tradition of vernacular poetry
that included El Cid and The Song of Roland. It is known that Chaucer read, and translated a
great deal of French poetry, and that he had also read the poetry of Dante, Petrarch, and
Boccaccio, all of whom wrote extensively in the vernacular. Some of his poems explicitly draw
from Italian themes. One of these themes is an interest in the secular (with the notable exception,
to some extent, of Dante’s most famous work.) Chaucer too portrays a world where actions have
consequences, and people are driven to make choices by a combination of class influence and
individual free will.
Yet religion played a powerful role in shaping the medieval worldview. His characters are, after
all, on a religious pilgrimage. Just as important, Chaucer’s characters reflect a hierarchical chain,
and indeed his contemporary readers would have recognized the speech, manners and dress as
stereotypical of the class to which each character belonged. The Canterbury Tales is best
understood as a product of its own time, and religion and class were as important in shaping his
work as the influence of other European poets.
 
***Chaucer is the father of English literature. Discuss?
Geoffrey Chaucer is widely known as ‘the Father of English Literature.’
Not only is he the first poet buried in Westminster Abbey, Chaucer remains the proven favorite
poet of the Middle Ages.  His best known collective work, The Canterbury Tales, serve as
inspiration for countless English writers and poets to come.
The most influential reason why Chaucer would be considered the father of English literature is
the fact that he wrote in the vernacular (his audience’s spoken language) rather than Latin, which
was the accepted standard for written works at the time.  The popularity of The Canterbury
Tales, coupled by the fact that it was written in the vernacular, goes a long way to establishing a
trend toward acceptance for vernacular works.
***Chaucer as a poet of transition?
Chaucer is a poet of transition between a conversational colloquial style and a lofty poetic style.
As Dante and Petrarch, two poets Chaucer cites throughout the Canterbury Tales, exalted the
Italian language through the refinement of their native Tuscan vernacular, Chaucer enriches
English. He does this first by choosing to engage with English when many of his contemporaries
preferred to write in Latin, and second by borrowing not just plots but words from other
languages, particularly French.
Beyond this, he is able to navigate the idiomatic language of his pilgrim characters without
debasing his high form. The language is direct, emphatic and immediate, while still triumphing
not just by evoking the literary muses, but also in his high style particularly in the opening lines
of the Prologue.