Geoffrey chaucer (c 1343 - 1400) was a 14th century writer, philosopher and diplomat in England. He is known as the father of English literature and the greatest author of that language until the birth of the work of Shakespeare..
Chaucer is said to have found the true essence of the English language and was the greatest poet of his time. Author of works such as The Canterbury Tales and of Troilus and Cressida, in which he reflected his mastery and command of the language, as well as the sensitivity when presenting the topics.
He also collaborated in public service; he held high positions and earned the confidence of his sovereigns. Geoffrey Chaucer served as a courtier and diplomat to three kings, first to Edward III, then to Richard II, and finally to Henry IV..
The author did not dedicate himself solely to the humanities, as he had forays into the sciences, especially astronomy, an area in which Chaucer stood out and wrote a work which he titled as Treatise of the astrolabe, dedicated to his son Lewis, who at the time was ten years old.
He was always inclined to serve his kingdom, either through his work as a diplomat or his literary work, since in both fields he excelled with an admirable performance..
As a diplomat, he traveled the European continent and in each destination he collected experiences and knowledge that contributed to his literary training..
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Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1343 in London. His father's name was John Chaucer and he came from a middle-class family that had raised himself thanks to the wine business. His mother, Agnes Copton, also had a wealthy position, having inherited several stores in London.
His father had good relations with the court as he had served as the king's butler and was part of Edward III's expedition to Flanders. The family name came from the French word chausseur, what does shoemaker mean.
There are no records of the young Geoffrey Chaucer's education. However, it is known that apart from mastering his mother tongue, he was able to speak fluently in French from an early age, and possessed notions of Latin and Italian.
Apparently John Chaucer offered his son early as a royal service worker. In 1357 Geoffrey's name appears for the first time, then he was serving in the house of a daughter-in-law of Edward III..
In this way, young people like Geoffrey Chaucer were guaranteed access to the education provided for the court. In addition to that there they had the ability to create valuable contacts for their professions and occupations in the future.
During the Hundred Years War, Chaucer was taken prisoner at Reims and the English government paid £ 16 for his ransom, which in the 14th century was a large sum. He then continued under royal service and some historians believe that he may have been studying law, as was common..
From the year 1366 he was on diplomatic missions as an envoy of Eduardo III. The first location was Spain, but the next 10 years took Chaucer all over Europe.
Also in 1366 Geoffrey Chaucer married Philippa Pan, who like him served the Countess of Ulster. After the death of his mistress, the wife of Chaucer passed to the orders of the consort of King Edward III, Philippa de Hainaut.
From 1367 he became yeoman of the king, since then he earned monthly income from his new position at court. His responsibilities also increased, as he was in charge of more personnel within the service to King Edward III..
In the 1370s a time of economic progress came to the Chaucer family. He continued to work as a diplomatic envoy until in 1374 he obtained a position in the port of London, which for the first time in a long time removed him from the court, and this position was ratified in 1377 when Richard II ascended the English throne..
His first great work was The Book of the Duchess, an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, who was in life the wife of John de Gaunt, a friend of Chaucer. This work seems to have been written between the years 1368 and 1374.
Most of Geoffrey Chaucer's literary work was written while he served as Director of Customs in the Port of London, between 1374 and 1386. This was one of the calmest and most prosperous times in Chaucer's life, who was always doomed to the needs of their kings.
In addition to his work as a writer and poet, Chaucer also did several translations. It seems that these works were the first that the English author received good comments related to his literary talent..
However, Chaucer did not limit himself to work as an author of poetry and literature with humanistic motifs, but also participated in scientific subjects in works such as Astrolabe Treaty, It describes the operation of the instrument in detail. That seems to have been the first technical text written in English..
Geoffrey Chaucer is recognized as the first English author to introduce the language to beautiful letters and find the narrative voice that had not yet been explored in the British Isles by his predecessors..
In the 1390s Chaucer suffered several attacks and robberies, later he was assigned to the royal woods in Somerset. In addition, he received an annual pension from Richard III and it is said that at that time his work was completed. The Canterbury Tales.
After Henry IV took the throne of England, the new sovereign ratified the pension that corresponded to Geoffrey Chaucer and increased it. Despite this, some doubt that he was paid since the writer had to mortgage one of his houses..
There is no exact data about his descendants, although it is believed that he had four children. One of them was an important landowner and held high positions in the kingdom, named Thomas Chaucer. The youngest appears to have been Lewis, to whom the Astrolabe Treaty.
It is also believed that he was the father of two girls named Elizabeth and Agnes. Some think that several of these sons could actually be descended from John de Gaunt, although nothing supports that claim..
Geoffrey Chaucer died on October 25, 1400. It is said that he may have been assassinated by enemies of the previous king, Richard II. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, London, and was thus the founder of Poets' Corner.
Geoffrey Chaucer appears to have gone through three stages. The former was largely influenced by French literature. Then he took the Italians as a reference and finally managed to find an English voice.
When he wrote Troilus and Cressida, Chaucer was in the middle of his evolution. He was deeply immersed in Italian classical works, probably after having known the work of Boccaccio.
Then when he wrote The Canterbury Tales, He was able to develop a much more personal style in accordance with the British temperament, full of humor and with allusions to subjects that directly affected England.
In this last work, Chaucer used the stories of pilgrims to take a tour of different genres, to touch on varied topics and from perspectives that could be dissimilar in an extensive narrative.
The works of Geoffrey Chaucer have marked English literature since they appeared during the fifteenth century, when they were considered by his contemporaries a chair within the poetry that was carried out then.
His style was copied by contemporaries and admired during the centuries that followed. So much so that his texts have been interpreted in modern English so that they can be understood by new generations.
Geoffrey Chaucer has had a vast influence on popular culture to this day. His work has served as the subject for operas, films and even television series. In addition, an asteroid and a lunar crater have been named in his honor..
- Translation of Roman de la Rose.
- The Book of the Duchess.
- The House of Fame.
- Anelida and Arcite.
- Parlement of Foules.
- Translation of the Consolation of philosophy of Boethius under the title of Boece.
- Troilus and Criseyde.
- The Legend of Good Women.
- The Canterbury Tales.
- Treatise of the astrolabe.
- Ballad of Rosamunda.
- An ABC.
- Chaucers Wordes unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn.
- The Complaint unto Pity.
- The Complaint of Chaucer to his Purse.
- The Complaint of Mars.
- The Complaint of Venus.
- A Complaint to His Lady.
- The Former Age.
- Fortune.
- Gentilesse.
- Lak of Stedfastnesse.
- Lenvoy from Chaucer to Scogan.
- Lenvoy from Chaucer to Bukton.
- Proverbs.
- To Rosemounde.
- Truth.
- Womanly noblesse.
- Against Women Unconstant.
- A Balade of Complaint.
- Complaynt D'Amours.
- Merciles Beaute.
- The Equatorie of the Planets.
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