Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer, pronounced JEHF rih CHAW suhr, (1340?-1400), was the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He wrote The Canterbury Tales, a group of stories that ranks among the masterpieces of literature. Chaucer was one of the most learned men of his age.
Chaucer wrote for people in and around the courts of Edward III and, especially, Richard II. Chaucer viewed the aristocratic fashion called "courtly love" with polite and amused skepticism. In his poetry, he often satirized the fashion's lofty ideals, elaborate etiquette, and literary style. He viewed the corruption he saw in the medieval church with less tolerance than he had for the fashion of courtly love. In The Canterbury Tales, he satirized church abuses in his portrayals of the friar, monk, pardoner, and summoner.
The Canterbury Tales (about 1386-1400) is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on a journey to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. One of the pilgrims represents Chaucer himself. Chaucer pictured this pilgrim as a simple fellow who takes everything at face value. This device allowed Chaucer to describe the other pilgrims objectively, while allowing the reader to see the pilgrims' real personalities.
Excerpt adapted from the "Geoffrey Chaucer" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999