Geoffrey Chaucer Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Geoffrey Chaucer Facts
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
About Geoffrey ChaucerAre you aware that it was with Geoffrey Chaucer that the tradition of burial started at the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey?If you haven’t already got the opportunity of enriching your mind with Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’, then it’s time to engross your minds. He has also produced some great short poems.Renowned as the Father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer ranks among one of the greatest poets to have ever lived. Not only is he a remarkable poet but also a philosopher, diplomat, bureaucrat, and astronomer. In fact, it was Chaucer’s career as a civil servant that details about his life and works could be preserved. Some of his masterpieces include ‘The House Of Fame’, ‘Troilus And Criseyde’, ‘The Legend Of Good Women’, and ‘The Book Of The Duchess’.Childhood And EducationThe world-famous author was born in the 1340s in Thames Street of London. According to some sources, the year of Chaucer’s birth is believed to be 1943, but the exactness of his time or location of birth has not been confirmed. Chaucer belonged to a family that had worked its way to attain a significant position and status in society. His father, John Chaucer, toiled to become a prosperous wine merchant who had associations with the royals and nobility. Chaucer’s mother was Agnes Copton.There is not much information regarding Chaucer’s educational background. However, it is known that he received education in the Inner Temple, where he pursued law. During this time, he also became a part of the royal court, where he served as the yeoman of King Edward III. This gave Chaucer the opportunity to travel to several places abroad.Family And RelationshipGeoffrey Chaucer married Philippa Roet in 1366. She was the daughter of the celebrated knight Sir Payne Roet. It is believed that they brought up three or four children, including Thomas, Elizabeth, Agnes, and Lewis Chaucer.Career And Professional HighlightsBest Known For…In 1357, Chaucer took up the role of a public servant, working under Countess Elizabeth of Ulster. Chaucer composed his first major work titled ‘The Book Of The Duchess’ in the late 1360s. Here he explored the dream vision genre where the narrative commences with a profound subject matter, that is, the death of a near and dear one and the consequent struggles with religious faith, and moves on to express the dream that helps to deal with the problem, ultimately navigating towards the resolution through the dream. This elegy was dedicated to John of Gaunt’s late wife, Blanche of Lancaster, who had succumbed to the plague in 1369. This book was actually written for the ladies belonging to the nobility and who held a high ranking in the royal household.Chaucer was often engaged in diplomatic missions that simultaneously enriched him as a writer. He embarked on a trip to Italy, where he visited places like Florence and Genoa. It is believed that Chaucer came across Boccaccio or Petrarch and was deeply influenced by medieval Italian poetry on this trip. The influence of French tradition is prevalent in many of his early poetry. Around the 1380s, Chaucer started composing ‘The Canterbury Tales’, and he continued writing while being in Kent as a member of its parliament. Despite his political involvement, Chaucer never let writing take the backseat. His roles shifted from an envoy to the clerk of the king’s works to the keeper and even Deputy Forester, where he was in charge of the royal forest in North Petherton.Another of Chaucer’s finest compositions, ‘Troilus And Criseyde’, was completed around the 1380s. The epic poem revolves around the tragic love story of Troilus and Criseyde set against the backdrop of the Trojan War. Two of his early poems include ‘The House of fame’ and ‘Anelida and Arcite’. The English poet penned down a majority of his noteworthy works while he was functioning as the comptroller of the customs in London. Some of Chaucer’s works that were produced during this span include ‘Troilus and Criseyde’, ‘The Legend Of Good Women’, and ‘Parlement Of Foules’. Apart from English poetry, Chaucer also translated some prominent works, including ‘Guillaume de Lorris’, ‘The Romance Of The Rose’, and ‘Consolation Of Philosophy’ by Boethius.One of Chaucer’s major works, ‘Treatise On The Astrolabe’, offered a vivid description of the astrolabe. It is considered to be the first instance of the implementation of technical writing in the English language, where Chaucer’s knowledge of science is also revealed, along with his flair in literature. It is also believed that Chaucer continued his scientific writing in ‘The Equatorie Of The Planetis’, but his authorship could not be confirmed.Besides his most famous writings, Chaucer made unparalleled contributions to the English language by introducing the rime royal, perfecting the accentual-syllabic meter and iambic pentameter, and incorporating the five-stress lines within the rhyming couplets. The five-stress lines had not been explored until Chaucer used this literary device in his poem titled ‘The Legend Of Good Women’. In fact, the court, bureaucracy, and chancery served a major role in his poetry. For instance, courtly love was a recurrent theme in his poems like ‘The Book Of The Duchess’. Chaucer’s use of satire was first projected in ‘The Reeve’s Tale’, which formed the third story in ‘The Canterbury Tales’.Chaucer’s caliber at writing can be witnessed across all his works. However, nothing surpasses the mastery presented in ‘The Canterbury Tales’, which is a collection of short tales narrated by a host of pilgrims. Chaucer’s objective behind penning down ‘Canterbury Tales’ was to present conversations between different people in medieval society. Initially, he planned to narrate two tales from each pilgrim but gradually finalized only one from each of the pilgrims. This exquisite piece of work upholds the late medieval picture of Britain using a combination of tragedy and humor. However, ‘The Canterbury Tales’ was left unfinished owing to the untimely demise of the great writer.Charity WorkThe Chaucer Heritage Trust is a charitable organization that aims to educate the current generation about the life as well as works of the great English poet. It is not known whether Chaucer was engaged in any kind of charitable activities, but his notion of charity is evident in his ‘General Prologue’ to the ‘Canterbury Tales’, particularly through the characterization of the Parson.What awards did Geoffrey Chaucer win?Although Chaucer held an esteemed position in the English court, and his writings are nothing less than treasures even today, he had not been the recipient of any award during his lifetime. However, the Chaucer Book Awards were introduced posthumously to honor the poet.Other Interesting Geoffrey Chaucer Facts And TriviaChaucer’s demise on October 25, 1400, left the world bereft of one of its finest gems. The cause behind his death still remains a mystery. However, the author was around 56 when he breathed his last.Do you know that Chaucer’s family name was derived from the French term ‘chaucier’? The term was initially used to represent a ‘shoemaker’, but later, it was used interchangeably for the maker of leggings or hose.Chaucer wrote ‘Treatise On The Astrolabe’ for his son Lewis.Chaucer’s changing roles and engagement in several diplomatic missions had often landed him in great danger, including robbery.Do you know why Geoffrey Chaucer was hailed as the Father of English Literature? Chaucer composed all his works in the dialect of the common masses, that is, English, whereas languages like French and Latin were used by the educated class.We would love your help! If you have a photo of Geoffrey Chaucer, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected].If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.
Geoffrey Chaucer Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Geoffrey Chaucer Facts
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
Are you aware that it was with Geoffrey Chaucer that the tradition of burial started at the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey?
Geoffrey Chaucer Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Geoffrey Chaucer Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Birth Name
Place Of Birth , Age 53 years old
Birth Date January 1 1970
Geoffrey Chaucer Facts
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
Geoffrey Chaucer Facts
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
Child Star? no Occupation
Education & Qualifications
