Chaucer, Geoffrey

Chaucer, Geoffrey
(?1340-1400)
   Little is known about Chaucer's life but that he was the son of a rich London wine merchant and that he was a page in the household of Prince Lionel, later duke of Clarence, for many years. In 1359-60 he was with the army of Edward III in France, where he was captured by the French but ransomed. He married a lady-in-waiting to Philippa of Hainault, Edward III's queen. Between 1370 and 1378, Chaucer was frequently on diplomatic missions to the Continent. From 1374 on he held several official positions, and in 1386 he was knight of the shire for Kent. He was the greatest English poet before Shakespeare and first great poet to be buried in the South Transept of Westminster Abbey in what became known as Poets' Corner. His main works: The Book of the Duchess, 1369. The House of Fame, 1370 (circa). Troilus and Criseyde, 1385 (circa). The Canterbury Tales (post 1387). Some of his other poems: "The Complaint of Chaucer to His Empty Purse," "The Complaint unto Pity," "The Hous of Fame," "The Parlement of Foules," "To Rosamounde," "Womanly Noblesse."
   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition, 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, 2006. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Poemhunter (www.poemhunter.com). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. The Riverside Chaucer. F.N. Robinson, ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Westminster Abbey Official Guide (no date).

British and Irish poets. A biographical dictionary. . 2015.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • CHAUCER, GEOFFREY° — (1340?–1400), English poet. His major work, The Canterbury Tales, written during the final phase of his career (c. 1390), includes one story based on a blood libel . The Prioress s Tale, which reflects contemporary prejudices, is the story of a… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — • Summary of the author s life and literary contributions Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — born с 1342/43, London?, Eng. died Oct. 25, 1400, London English poet. Of middle class birth, he was a courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, trusted by three kings in his active and varied career, and a poet only by avocation. His first… …   Universalium

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — (ca. 1343–1400)    Geoffrey Chaucer was the most admired and influential writer of the English Middle Ages. Known chiefly as a narrative poet, particularly for his varied collection of CANTERBURY TALES (ca. 1387–1400) and his tragic verse ROMANCE …   Encyclopedia of medieval literature

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — (1340? 1400)    Poet, was b. in London, the s. of John C., a vintner of Thames Street, who had also a small estate at Ipswich, and was occasionally employed on service for the King (Edward III.), which doubtless was the means of his son s… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — (ca. 1340 1400)    The greatest poet of medieval English literature, and the first widely influential poet since Anglo Saxon times to write mainly in English rather than French. He is enduringly famous as the author of the Canterbury Tales, a… …   Historical Dictionary of Renaissance

  • Chaucer, Geoffrey — ► (1340 1400) Poeta inglés. Autor de obras poéticas, como El libro de la duquesa (1369). Su obra maestra es Los cuentos de Canterbury (1386 1400), narraciones inspiradas en el Decamerón. * * * ( 1342/43, ¿Londres?, Inglaterra–25 oct. 1400,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Chaucer,Geoffrey — Chau·cer (chôʹsər), Geoffrey. 1340? 1400. English poet regarded as the greatest literary figure of medieval England. His works include The Book of the Duchess (1369), Troilus and Criseyde (c. 1385), and his masterwork, The Canterbury Tales (1387… …   Universalium

  • CHAUCER, GEOFFREY —    the great early English poet, and father of English poetry, the son of a vintner and taverner, born probably in London, where he lived almost all his days; when a lad, served as page in the royal household; won the favour and patronage of the… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Chaucer — Chaucer, Geoffrey …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”