Geoffrey Chaucer - his life and works

Geoffrey Chaucer

- his life and works

(1380 words)

Biography

About Geoffrey Chaucer's birthday one have no direct knowledge but it is known that he was one of the greatest English poets, famous for his masterpiece "The Canterbury Tales", which represented one of the most important influences on the development of English literature.

At Chaucer's lifetime probably only five percent of the population could read at all. He was no professional writer but a public servant and a courtier. The relationship between his writing and his public life is unknown. But being mentioned no less than 493 times in contemporary documents - mostly lists of money paid out to people serving the king or other powerful figures - gives us more details about his life and show a very active career.

Chaucer was probably born in 1343 in London - Thames Street, Dowgate Hill, a site today covered by the platform of Cannon Street Station. His father John Chaucer, the son of Robert le Chaucer, might have been a successful wine merchant and an important member of the business community there. About Geoffrey's mother only the name Alice is known. He was the only son of them. Being educated well, Chaucer probably was not sent to a university.

Between 1348 and 1349 the Black Death claimed many victims. The pandemic came from the Middle East with a boat of dying sailors in October 1347. It extended by infected rats, arrived in towns at the coast of England in June 1348 and reached London in 1349. Nearly the half of the 5 million England's inhabitants died within 8 months. Chaucer and his family were fortunate to escape infection of that. Regular outbreaks of the plague followed in his further life.

In 1357 Geoffrey served as a page in the household of the young Prince Lionel where he learned the skills of the ruling class. Two years later he got the right to fight for the king. So he went to France in a small company led by Prince Lionel, serving through the final Edwardian Invasion which ended in the peace of Bretigny in 1360. In France he was taken prisoner at a place called "Retters" but was liberated on ransom in March 1360. The following 6 years of his life are not documented. Maybe he followed Prince Lionel to Ireland or went into the king's service. In 1366 he visited Spain.

The same year he married Philippa de Roet, the daughter of Sir Payne Roet. Maybe this was no happy marriage. They probably had a daughter and two sons - Thomas and "litel sonne Lowys" (Lewis), for whom the "Treatise on the Astrolabe" was written.

Geoffrey was fluent in French and Latin. His first experiment of writing was a translation of the 13^th-century French love-allegory "The Romance of the Rose". Provoked by the death of John of Gaunt's first wife Blanche, he wrote "The Book of the Duchess" in 1368. His first original work shows the influence of French poetry and of Ovid, his most favorite poet.

In 1369 Chaucer wrote the "Complaint of Pity" and joined the army in France again. He made a number of journeys abroad. The turning point of his literary life followed - he was sent to Italy. Records show that he went to Genoa and Florence in 1372/1373. Chaucer might have learned Italian from his father. At this time the first steps in renaissance humanism had been taken. He met Petrarch and Boccacio there and probably spent some time in the great libraries in Italy in case of being allowed to view them. Boccacio gave a series of lectures on "Dante".

Geoffrey had to control the wool customs in London in 1374. This was a difficult job, which took a lot of time. He got the right to live rent-free and received a pitcher of wine from the king every day.

He composed "The House of Fame". This work shows influence from Boccacio's "Dante". Showing that Chaucer was no popular writer, this book is preserved in a few copies only.

King Edward III died in 1377, less than a year after the death of his eldest son Edward the Black Prince. At the age of ten the Black Prince's son became King Richard II. In 1378 Chaucer went to France and Italy again - this time on royal service.

Returning from this visits he brought copies of Boccacio's "Filostrato" and "Teseida". Chaucer used "Teseida" in the fragment "Anelida and Arcite", "The Parliament of Fowls" and the "Knight's Tale".

His work "The Parliament of Fowls" is preserved in 14 manuscripts - only a small part of the original - and was more known than his previous works. It is written in the popular form of a dream-vision. At the beginning of the poem Chaucer picks up Cicero's "Dream of Scipio".

London was the main focus of the so-called "Peasant's Revolt" in 1381. This event reflected a wish for freedom and lower wages. The rebels of Kent reached London in June. They plundered the city and massacred a group of Flemish immigrants who took the work from Londoners. They entered the Tower of London and murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Chaucer began to write the unfinished work "The Legend of Good Women" in 1386. In this book he emphasized that he was not against women - "Roman de la Rose" and "Troilus" gave a negative picture of women.

"Troilus and Criseyde" was written during 1381 and 1386. This was Geoffrey's first work that found admiration. Beneath the "Knight's Tales" it was marked by the influence of "Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius. Owing to this influence it seems that he was translating Boece - the standard medieval name for Boethius. At this time he also wrote the short poems "The Former Age", "Fortune", "Truth", "Gentilesse" and "Lak of Stedfastnesse".

In the 1380s he became known among the literature circles of London. A 'Chaucer Circle' might have been constituted by some powerful men like John Clanvowe, who wrote the first 'Chaucerian' poem "The Book of Cupid", Sir Lewis Clefford and Sir Richard Stury.

Resigning from his position as controller of the wool custom, Geoffrey was active in society. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Kent in 1386. The year before he had become a member of the commission of the peace for Kent, a town near London. For this job he left London and went to Kent. In 1387 his wife died.

After that he became clerk of the king in July 1389 and in the next year commissioner of roads between Greenwich and Woolwich. This was a very challenging position because he had to manage building and repairs on the properties belonging to the king, e. g. the nave of Westminster Abbey, built by Henry Yevele. The new wharf at the Tower of London was constructed, too. Geoffrey was involved in many diplomatic assignments to France, Italy and Spain. He lost this job after two years but having these connections to the king he had a yearly income of about £50 (equals £650 today).

From now on Chaucer lived in Greenwich where he did most of the work on the "Canterbury Tales". This unfinished work is unique for its variety, humor, grace and realism. Records show that he had some problems with small debts during the 1390's because his income was irregular. That's why this was a hard time for him.

In 1398 he moved back to London and lived in Westminster in 1399 where he experienced the dramatic events of Richard's defeat. Richard tried to save the peace with France. Other Lords - including his uncle Earl of Gloucester - were not pleased about that. In 1396 Richard married Isabella, the daughter of the king of France. On October 13 in 1399 Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV. One year later Richard was murdered in prison.

Henry IV confirmed Chaucer regular money but no money appeared. Needing the money, Geoffrey sent a poem "The Complaint to his Purse" to the king. Owing to a possible illness, Chaucer died on 25 October 1400 in London and was buried in the south transept of Westminster Abbey.

Sources

Microsoft Encarta 98/99

Internet:

The New Encyclopedia Britannica

Greenwich 2000

The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes

The Geoffrey Chaucer Page

Catholic Encyclopedia