Geoffrey Chaucer Research Paper

Mary Preavy
The Canterbury Tales Essay
Mrs. Vance
29 November, 2011
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer was the greatest English poet of his time period. Geoffrey Chaucer was the greatest English poet of his time period because he was extremely intelligent and he had a wide knowledge of the people around him. I chose Geoffrey Chaucer’s work because when I read The Canterbury Tales it automatically caught my attention. I feel that he did a great job depicting the types of people that lived in his society, including women. He is intelligent and I enjoy the fact that he is quite humorous. Geoffrey Chaucer’s work is relevant because he was the first to write in English, hence the name given to him “The Father of English Poetry.” Geoffrey
While he was in Southampton, Geoffrey Chaucer started his studies with a schoolmaster. His school master taught him many things, such as manners, prayers, and hymns. His school master also offered him his first lessons in writing and reading in Latin (Swisher 11). Geoffrey Chaucer only stayed two years in Southampton until his family decided to move back to London. While in London for the second time in his life, Geoffrey Chaucer again began to continue is studies at St. Paul’s Grammar School, which was also a song school. St. Paul’s Grammar School taught young boys how to sing in the choir. Scholars have no definite knowledge of what Geoffrey Chaucer studied in Grammar School; however his poems do show evidence of Latin grammar and influences of Roman writers of his time period, like Seneca. Scholars attempt to predict what authors Geoffrey Chaucer read, but they are not able to predict which specific works he did study (Swisher 11). According to his later works, researchers conclude that Geoffrey Chaucer must have read books owned by his schoolmaster. Geoffrey Chaucer was taught arithmetic from his father, who practiced math calculations in his job. In the 14th century books were very expensive and not easy to secure, so scholars think that because of this, Geoffrey Chaucer would have learned the art of storytelling. Geoffrey Chaucer heard folktales that had been passed down for generations and he
In the mid-1360s Geoffrey Chaucer caught John of Gaunt’s attention. He was then placed in the kings service in about 1366. John of Gaunt enjoyed the company of Geoffrey Chaucer, as well of his wife, Philippa Chaucer. Philippa Chaucer soon gave birth to a child whose father was John of Gaunt somewhere between 1369 and 1372(Bloom 1). In 1372 Geoffrey Chaucer went to Italy on a series of diplomatic missions. This mission was a turning point in Geoffrey Chaucer’s career. It strengthened his favor with the king and provided a driven motive for all of poetry. After his trip to Italy Geoffrey Chaucer now began writing short tales that were similar to that of Petrarch and Boccaccio. Geoffrey Chaucer’s work received much wide attention by the mid-1370s (Bloom 1). In 1374 Geoffrey Chaucer found himself reading his poetry at court and at the festival at the order of Garter. As a controller of customs, Geoffrey Chaucer served many governmental posts form 1374 to 1386. Geoffrey Chaucer’s life was made difficult because of the Peasant’s Revolt 1377-1382. The Peasant’s Revolt was dangerous to government official; therefore, the amount of traveling through England and Europe was difficult for Geoffrey Chaucer. As a result of the Peasant’s Revolt, the later part of the 1380s was not much easier for Geoffrey Chaucer either (Bloom 1). In 1387 Geoffrey