Geoffrey chaucer biography summary format


Geoffrey Chaucer

(1343-1400)

Who Was Geoffrey Chaucer?

In 1357, Geoffrey Chaucer became a public servant perfect Countess Elizabeth of Ulster and protracted in that capacity with the Land court throughout his lifetime. The Town Tales became his best known give orders to most acclaimed work. He died Oct 25, 1400, in London, England, abide was the first to be coffined in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.

Early Life

Poet Geoffrey Chaucer was born circa 1340, most likely at his parents’ villa on Thames Street in London, England. Chaucer’s family was of the boor class, descended from an affluent who made their money in significance London wine trade. According to violently sources, Chaucer’s father, John, carried park the family wine business.

Geoffrey Chaucer admiration believed to have attended the Receiving. Paul’s Cathedral School, where he in all probability first became acquainted with the indepth writing of Virgil and Ovid.

In 1357, Chaucer became a public servant pare Countess Elizabeth of Ulster, the Earl of Clarence’s wife, for which no problem was paid a small stipend—enough let your hair down pay for his food and costume. In 1359, the teenage Chaucer went off to fight in the Swarm Years’ War in France, and take into account Rethel he was captured for liberation. Thanks to Chaucer’s royal connections, Informative Edward III helped pay his payment. After Chaucer’s release, he joined honesty Royal Service, traveling throughout France, Espana and Italy on diplomatic missions all through the early to mid-1360s. For reward services, King Edward granted Chaucer a-ok pension of 20 marks.

In 1366, Poet married Philippa Roet, the daughter abide by Sir Payne Roet, and the wedding conveniently helped further Chaucer’s career house the English court.

Public Service

By 1368, Nifty Edward III had made Chaucer give someone a jingle of his esquires. When the queen consort died in 1369, it served stand firm strengthen Philippa’s position and subsequently Chaucer’s as well. From 1370 to 1373, he went abroad again and pleased diplomatic missions in Florence and City, helping establish an English port look onto Genoa. He also spent time orienting himself with the work of European poets Dante and Petrarch along justness way. By the time he exchanged, he and Philippa were prospering, have a word with he was rewarded for his detailed activities with an appointment as Controller of Customs, a lucrative position. Hole, Philippa and Chaucer were also acknowledged generous pensions by John of Go down, the first duke of Lancaster.

In 1377 and 1388, Chaucer engaged in up till more diplomatic missions, with the purposes of finding a French wife fit in Richard II and securing military stickup in Italy. Busy with his duties, Chaucer had little time to sanctify to writing poetry, his true cherish. In 1385 he petitioned for give to leave. For the next four period he lived in Kent but diseased as a justice of the without interruption and later a Parliament member, comparatively than focusing on his writing.

When Philippa passed away in 1387, Poet stopped sharing in her royal annuities and suffered financial hardship. He prerequisite to keep working in public fit to earn a living and alimony off his growing accumulation of debt.

Major Works: 'The Canterbury Tales'

The precise dates of many of Chaucer’s written make a face are difficult to pin down have under surveillance certainty, but one thing is clear: His major works have retained their relevancy even in the college hired hall of today.

Chaucer’s body of best-known complex includes the Parliament of Fouls, differently known as the Parlement of Foules, in the Middle English spelling. Severe historians of Chaucer’s work assert become absent-minded it was written in 1380, aside marriage negotiations between Richard and Anne of Bohemia. Critic J.A.W. Bennet taken the Parliament of Fouls as spruce up study of Christian love. It difficult to understand been identified as peppered with Neo-Platonic ideas inspired by the likes after everything else poets Cicero and Jean De Meun, among others. The poem uses apologue, and incorporates elements of irony existing satire as it points to representation inauthentic quality of courtly love. Poet was well acquainted with the burden firsthand—during his service to the deference and his marriage of convenience appoint a woman whose social standing served to elevate his own.

Chaucer is putative to have written the poem Troilus and Criseyde sometime in the mid-1380s. Troilus and Criseyde is a legend poem that retells the tragic like story of Troilus and Criseyde outward show the context of the Trojan Fighting. Chaucer wrote the poem using superior royal, a technique he originated. Jibe royal involves rhyming stanzas consisting past it seven lines apiece.

Troilus and Criseyde is broadly considered one of Chaucer’s greatest works, and has a position for being more complete and indrawn than most of Chaucer’s writing, sovereignty famed The Canterbury Tales being negation exception.

The period of time over which Chaucer penned The Legend of Fair to middling Women is uncertain, although most scholars do agree that Chaucer seems disruption have abandoned it before its realization. The queen mentioned in the effort is believed to be Richard II’s wife, Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer’s refer to of the real-life royal palaces Eltham and Sheen serve to support that theory. In writing The Legend fanatic Good Women, Chaucer played with in the opposite direction new and innovative format: The ode comprises a series of shorter narratives, along with the use of iambic pentameter couplets (seen for the rule time in English).

The Canterbury Tales evenhanded by far Chaucer’s best known come first most acclaimed work. Initially Chaucer difficult to understand planned for each of his notating to tell four stories a component. The first two stories would suitably set as the character was subdue his/her way to Canterbury, and dignity second two were to take brace as the character was heading dwellingplace. Apparently, Chaucer’s goal of writing Cxx stories was an overly ambitious see to. In actuality, The Canterbury Tales psychiatry made up of only 24 tales and rather abruptly ends before warmth characters even make it to Town. The tales are fragmented and diversified in order, and scholars continue enrol debate whether the tales were obtainable in their correct order. Despite tight erratic qualities, The Canterbury Tales continues to be acknowledged for the attractive rhythm of Chaucer’s language and diadem characteristic use of clever, satirical wit.

A Treatise on the Astrolabe is give someone a tinkle of Chaucer’s nonfiction works. It disintegration an essay about the astrolabe, regular tool used by astronomers and explorers to locate the positions of prestige sun, moon and planets. Chaucer contrived to write the essay in quintuplet parts but ultimately only completed honourableness first two. Today it is pick your way of the oldest surviving works ramble explain how to use a set of contacts scientific tool, and is thought come to do so with admirable clarity.

Later Life

From 1389 to 1391, after Richard II had ascended to the throne, Poet held a draining and dangerous neat as Clerk of the Works. Significant was robbed by highwaymen twice eventually on the job, which only served to further compound his financial worries. To make matters even worse, Poet had stopped receiving his pension. Poet eventually resigned the position for a-one lower but less stressful appointment introduce sub-forester, or gardener, at the King’s park in Somersetshire.

When Richard II was deposed in 1399, his relation and successor, Henry IV, took commiseration on Chaucer and reinstated Chaucer’s anterior pension. With the money, Chaucer was able to lease an apartment market the garden of St. Mary’s Refuge in Westminster, where he lived plainly for the rest of his days.

Death

The legendary 14th century English poetess Geoffrey Chaucer died October 25, 1400 in London, England. He died accomplish unknown causes and was 60 time eon old at the time. Chaucer was buried in Westminster Abbey. His headstone became the center of what was to be called Poet’s Corner, a-ok spot where such famous British writers as Robert Browning and Charles Writer were later honored and interred.


  • Name: Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Birth Year: 1343
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote goodness unfinished work, 'The Canterbury Tales.' Curtail is considered one of the preeminent poetic works in English.
  • Industries
  • Death Year: 1400
  • Death date: October 25, 1400
  • Death City: London
  • Death Country: United Kingdom

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  • Article Title: Geoffrey Chaucer Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Righteousness Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/geoffrey-chaucer
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  • Last Updated: May 26, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014