Geoffrey Chaucer, the worlds greatest poet, lived in fourteenth century Europe. Like most great people he too was influenced by something, French poetry, which I will Prove. Europe at that time was not rich or poor, happy or sad; it was mixed with wealth and poverty. Chaucers literary works broke away from conformity and set the stage for the beginning of English literature. Chaucers travels through Europe, mostly on the Kings business, or civil service, shaped his writing, offering his readers of today a brief glimpse into the world in which he lived.
Geoffrey Chaucer lived from approximately 1340 to 1400. Born the son of a London vintner, he remained a Londoner for most of his life, leaving the city only on the Kings business. The city of London was Chaucers environment for most of his life. Aside from brief visits into other countries or cities of England, he remained in the city, and its affects on his life were immense. London at the time was very different from the London we know today. It was a walled city, guarded against invasion, but long enough time had passed since such a threat had approached that the defenses had loosened.
Houses perched upon the walls, and Chaucer in fact, lived for a time in a house built over Aldgate, (one of the gates of the city). (Norton 76) London was a city less then three-Quarters of a mile in size: it ran east and west along the Thames less than one and a half miles, and extended northwards less then half a mile. Over 20,000 people were packed into this small area; the diversity of the inhabitants was overwhelming. Londoners ranged from wealthy to impoverished, from small to large, shoemakers to blacksmith to minstrel to priest.
It had stone buildings mingled with tile, wood, and thatch. While the major streets were fairly wide, small shops and stands often spread out into the road, effectively narrowing it by up to half its original width. London Bridge, the only bridge in the city, was home to a multitude of homes and shops, perched on top of the span to conserve space. Waste was disposed of simply. It was usually emptied right out the windows or doors, into the alley or street. The slaughtering was done right in the street as well, with the scraps just tossed into the road.
The local hogs or wild dogs were used as street cleaners. They would just wander around and usually eat up the scraps, what ever the left was eaten by wild birds. The sewers were also open and left to run into the Thames. Most of Chaucers life was spent at the open courts of the King of England. Here a startling change was apparent. The filth of the streets disappeared, to be replaced by the splendor so often associated with royalty. The royal court was home to many in Chaucers time such as courtiers, pages, knights, nobles, and of course the King and Queen.
Chaucer quickly raised through the ranks of the Kings men, experiencing all aspects of court life. He was a page, squire, court- bard, counselor and finally courtier to various monarchs. Many Kings rose and fell in Chaucers life time. He began his life in the Kings service in the reign of Edward III, and performed his service to him for a long time. He was captured by the French and ransomed in one of Edward IIIs campaigns during the Hundred Years war- (1359) (76) which was usually an honor for only noble men. By 1378 Edward III had died, and Chaucer was the man of Richard II
The country was caught up in a political battle between the nobles of Gloucester and Lancaster. The actions of these two nobles had Chaucers life constantly changing around him. The only Stable item in Chaucers life was religion. The institution of religion, the church, was quite prominent and visible. Cathedrals dotted the cities of the world, and even the smallest towns had at least one church. The glory of the Church may even have outshined the royal court. Cathedrals were brilliant with magnificent carvings, statues of precious metals murals, holy artifacts, and many other gleaming treasures.
Even the smallest church was well kept and decorated with fine art. The glory of the church, and the power it put forth over the population, made it a major political power of the time. Chaucer was born in the early 134Os. Very little is known about the first stage of his life. However, two items are fairly certain. It appears that Chaucer was the son of a London vintner and relatively strong evidence supports that he attended one of three grammar schools St. Pauls, St. , Mary- Lees Bows or St. Martin- le- Grands. (76) Aside from this slim bit of information details of Chaucers early life are few.
The next reliable bit of information places him at around the age of fourteen, a page in the household of the wife of Prince Lionel, the second son of Edward III. He held this position for some time. In 1359 Chaucer went to war technically as a soldier, but acted as a diplomat. Chaucers first appearance into the kings business appeared in October of 1360, when he carried letters from Calais to England during peace negotiations there. For this service he held the official title of the clerk of the king attached to the person of Prince Lionel.
In this way, Chaucer began his life of service to his king. In 1368, Chaucer was awarded a royal reward for a long and valued service to his job. His actual duties during this period were apparently fairly hazy. He served as a sort of jack of all trades. The only thing we know about Chaucers life between 1358-1367 is that he was imprisoned in France, during the hundred years war, and was ransomed in March of 1360, for a rather large sum. In this time Chaucer also married Philippa Roet, lady in waiting to the Queen. She had at least two children, Thomas and Lyte Lowys.
Between 1368 and 1387, Chaucer undertook nearly a dozen diplomatic missions to Flanders, France, and Italy. Most were important; many were so secretive that they were not mentioned in the histories of the time at all. In 1381, Chaucer was sent to deal with marriage negotiations between Richard II and the daughter of the French King. While Chaucer was not on diplomatic missions, he was performing his duties in the position for which he is best known, The Kings Custom Service. From 1374-1386, he was comptroller of London.
When he was removed from the post in 1386 he was instead granted the title Knight of the Shire, an important Parliament post, and later was placed as the Clerk of the Kings works at Westminster, the Tower, and other royal property in South England. Chaucers final post in the Kings service was that of the keeper of the small royal forest of North Pertherton. He held this post twice, from 1390 to 1391 and from 1397 to 1398. In 1399, he settled in Westminster. On Christmas Eve he leased, for fifty-three years, the garden of the monks of Westminster, to live in. However, he did not live long to enjoy his retirement.
Geoffrey Chaucer died on October 225, 1400. In a time when literacy was a luxury affordable only by the very wealthy and powerful, Chaucers writings stand out as unique. The main language of literature of the time was Latin. Latin literature was taught as early, if not earlier then English literature. In fact, many people could read Latin yet had difficulty figuring out the simplest English sentences. What little literature was not written in Latin was written in French. Latin and French poetry was widely recognized as being the only real literature of any worth. This of course, makes Chaucers works even more unusual.
Unlike most of the writers of the time, Chaucer wrote his works in English. It was even read in English to the royal court upon completion. Chaucers writing career was not completely original or free of influences. His first works borrowed the French and Latin form for poetry, and it was only later that some of his works became more original. For example, Chaucers first recorded poem The Book of Duchess, which was an elegy in the form of a dream vision commemorating John of Guants first wife, the young Duchess of Lancaster, the opening lines are simply translations of the openings of Froissarts Paradys d Amour. 77) While this is the most obvious use of the French poem, there are a few other lines or phrases that appear through out Chaucers poem. In the first part of Chaucers career as a writer, it can be seen that his writing is restricted by a style made popular at the time by French poetry. As in the prominent French Poetry of the time, the book demonstrates a love for detail and description. Chaucer never quite escapes the French influences in his writing, but escapes some areas of the so called French style. It was not until Chaucer began writing his most well known work The Canterbury Tales, that he did this.
Until this work, his writings were simply translations of old myths, or barely original poems written to fit the standards of the French style. Chaucer wished to write something more ambitious, original, and memorable. The Canterbury Tales was the result of that single wish. Chaucers style of writing in The Canterbury Tales is quite different from his earlier works. Hidden with in the stories of the pilgrims are sermons about the world he knew, and the evils he saw with in it. The Canterbury Tales have no single style throughout to which each shorter story is fit.
Rather, Chaucer gives each section of the poem its own style, to add originality to his masterpiece. Chaucer worked through out his life to break away from the molds which society had set about poetry in general, and his work in specific. (origin 236) Instead of forging beautifully crafted lies and tales about society, his poetry held up a mirror to reflect reality as he saw it. Chaucers main influence was without a doubt French literature. Although he copied the style for some time, he still is the most influential poet in English history, and maybe French history s well.
One other reason Chaucer wrote in the style he did was his life. Chaucer experienced much more then most people of his time, so his mind was expanded beyond only his life. He knew a little bit of information about every type of person you could imagine. This is why he made sure to express his views of the world, or reality as he saw it in his work. Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1340 and died in October, of 1400 led a long life compared to the average life span, which was made even shorter for most people by the Black Death, in the fourteenth century. His life was filled with religion, royalty, and of course reality.
He was the greatest English poet that ever lived. Chaucer was also one of the first poets to write in the English language. English was not the main literary language at this time so that was a great accomplishment for anyone let alone Chaucer during his time. Chaucer cherished literature of all sorts. He spent much of his time reading and writing. Chaucers main influence in his writings was fourteenth century French Poetry, which is obvious in just about all his work, as long as you know what to look for. Chaucer also tried to push the envelope and create an all new style of his own, and out came the great Canterbury Tales.
