“Between the ages of about fifteen and twenty-three the mind has a special resilience-what we learn then seems to go deeper and stay longer. Chaucer spent these years learning the amenities of the noble life and the brutal arts of medieval warfare…”(Howard 41).
In 1369, he composed his first important poem, The Book of Duchess, in memory of his patron’s wife who died of the black plague. He began work on The Canterbury Tales, quite possibly his most famous work, about 1387 and wanted each of his pilgrimages to tell four tales. However he was only able to write twenty-three stories before his death.
In 1366 Chaucer is believed to have married his wife Philippa after his father’s death and his mother’s remarriage. “Chaucer made an advantageous marriage, although he may already have been regarded as a coming young man (Hussey154). Geoffrey and his wife may have had up to four children, but the records of his family have little detail and are somewhat mysterious. The records do however show that these four people were relatives of Geoffrey and Philippa, but whether of not they were his children remains a mystery.
In 1367, he was awarded the first of many recognitions for his service in the king’s court. On April 23, 1374, he was granted the promise of a daily pitcher of wine. He was appointed justice of the peace in Kent in 1385, and he later became a Parliament. Throughout the rest of his life he remained in the king’s service. On several he was sent all over as the king’s ambassador (Elements of Literature 1).
Chaucer was a fairly important government servant. Although today he is thought of almost entirely for his poetry, back in the Middle Ages, his work was much more important than his writings (Elements of Literature 1). He had many jobs in the royal service including the comptroller of the customs for the port of London and an esquire to the royal court. He carried on many other governmental duties as well that proves his importance and dedication to the kings.
Middle English is a form of English used in England from around the time of Norman conquest until around 1500. The main difference between Middle English and the English we use today is the pronunciation of long vowels. The short vowels are generally the same. The following chart helps understand the pronunciation of long vowels.
Middle English Sounds like Modern
y,I “myne, sight” “meet”
e,ee “me, meet, mete” (close e) “mate”
e “begge, rede” (open e) “bag”
a, aa “mate, maat” “father”
u, ou “hus, hous” “boot”
o, oo “bote, boot” (close o) “oak”
o “lof, ok” (open o) “bought”
(Teach Yourself to Read 1)
In the movie A Knight’s Tale very little is said about Chaucer’s life and poetry. He is portrayed as sarcastic and humorous. In real life he used a lot of humor but the sarcastic side of Chaucer was not revealed as often as the movie suggests. The movie also tells nothing of his real life as far as all his years in the king’s service. He is portrayed as a little known writer, which was probably the only thing realistic about Geoffrey Chaucer in the movie.
Chaucer still influences our lives today by giving us timeless literature that anyone can appreciate once interpreted correctly. He is still a huge influence on modern writers, and it’s easy to respect a man that was so non-judgmental of people and the world around him.
