Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1343. The exact date and place of birth is not known. He was the son of a successful wine merchant and deputy to the king’s butler. His forefathers were in vinery business from decades. He belonged to a stable family in all.

Like his date of birth, not much is known about his early age and education. But from his name, Chaucer, we can assume that he knew French, as it’s a French name, meaning thereby, a shoemaker. His works also show that he could read French, Latin and Italian. He became a court man because of his father’s influence in the court. Chaucer worked as a diplomat, a courtier and a civil servant altogether. He led a busy court life as he also worked for the king, as a collector and inventor of scrap material.

Chaucer became a prisoner of war in 13 60, during the siege of Rheims, while travelling with Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence. As ransom, Edward paid of £16 and got him released.

There are no chronological references found about his then life after his release. It is suggested that he spent most of his time travelling to France, Flanders and Spain as a messenger or perhaps on his own, as a pilgrim. The event that is mentioned after his release is his marriage to Phillipa(de) Roet in 1366. She was employed as the queen’s lady-in-waiting. She later on, married Chaucer’s patron, Gaunt. The number of children Chaucer had is also not clearly mentioned in his biographies but the most agreed upon number of children is 3 to 4.

He is also said to have attended the wedding of Lionel of Antwerp and Violant, in Milan, Italy. His travelling is supposed to be the source of bringing him across with Italian Medieval Poetry. It is believed that Chaucer may have produced his famous literary work “The Book of the Duchess” in honor of Gaunt’s late wife Blanche of Lancaster. Chaucer visited Genoa and Florence in 1373 as part of a military expedition.

Chaucer’s works include “The Book of Duchess”, “Anelida and Acrite”, “The House of Fame”, “Parliament of Foules”, ”The Legend of Good Women” and “Troilus and Criseyde”. These works are dated in between 1374 to 1386. In 1374, Chaucer served at the port as a comptroller which he continued for 12 years. It is a time when he made several commercial and diplomatic trips.

He moved to Kent in 1385 and became a justice of the peace after losing his previous job. He also became a member of parliament. This era is marked as the most creative. “Troilus and Cressida” are amongst his famous creations of that period. Another famous literary piece “The House of Fame” came to the scene in between 1374 to 1385. Soon after, he wrote “The Parliament of Birds” and then he translated “The Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius.

The most famous and celebrated of his works is “The Canterbury Tales”, which is still read with all its joyful essence. Unfortunately, this most enjoyed work of the poet is an in complete book, because of Chaucer’s death. He started writing it when he was in his 40s. It is an interesting account of 30 pilgrims going to the shrine of Martyr St. Thomas Becket, on a shiny day in April. All the characters are assumed to story telling, whereas Chaucer gives us their complete description. He describes these characters humorously with an under tone of satire over the contemporary society. The pungent satirical tone is heightened by the description of religious characters such as The Monk. Chaucer involves the reader with himself so deeply that the reader starts feeling as being the part of the group. Moreover, he creates an atmosphere of friendliness. The reader feels no strangeness, and it seems as if Chaucer is a friend who is giving an account of his personal experience.

‘The Canterbury Tales’ marked a different stature in its time, as the narrative style was completely different from the contemporary. It was simple in itself. Chaucer as a traveler was well acquainted with many of the road side inns. He has used real names too, in his narrative to make it look like a real life narrative. This piece of work is in contrast with those present at that time because of its naturalism.

His work has been confused with French period, English period and Italian period. Chaucer is some times regarded as ‘the father of English Literature”. He is supposed to be the pioneer of using a style in which characters are made to utter the real sounds and dialects of their native languages. He has used English language of that period, rather than using French like the rest in that era.

We find no records of Chaucer’s existence soon after the over throw of Richard II in 1399. The date of his death is stated as 25th of October, 14 00, with out any slightest reference to the cause and event of his death. The date even can’t be affirmed as a correct one, as it is taken from the tomb stone engraved on his grave after a hundred years of his death. It is proposed in a recently published book “Who Murdered Chaucer? A Medieval Mystery” by Terry Jones’ that he was assassinated by the enemies of Richard II.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s death was indeed a great loss to English poetry. It left his admirers grief stricken, as Thomas Hoccleve, another famous contemporary poet and one of Chaucer’s great admirer and follower exclaimed:

“Alas! my worthy mayster honorable,
Thys landes verray tresouur and rychesse,
Deth, by thy deth, hath harme irriparable
Unto us don.”

Here he says that death has deprived this land from a person who excelled in ‘the swetnesse / Of rethorik’ and ‘philosophy’, and who was the true follower of Virgil ‘in poesie’. Moreover, he also called Chaucer his ‘master’.

Not only his contemporaries admired and followed him, but many literary figures from 15th and 16th century also praised his works in the same manner. Great artists referred to his work as ‘great cannon’ if nothing less. In 1476 printing was introduced in England which reaffirmed Chaucer’s importance as a literary figure. Two editions of “The Canterbury Tales” were instantly printed in 14 77, 1483 by William Caxton. At that time a lot of other works by Chaucer were also printed. The first volume of his works as a single collection was also printed at that time (1532) with the name of “Chaucer’s Works”. A lot more of his work then came forth in printed form.

Chaucer was a master of rhetoric. He introduced different styles of rhyme. His tone was simple and melodious where it has to be such. As in “Anelida and Arcite” :

“thou Polymya
On Parnaso that …
Singest with vois memorial in the shade
Under the laurer which that may not fade”

His language has the quality of both being colloquial and learned. He also explains a situation quite dramatically without making the character speaking a single word. A good example is the character of May, conversing with her lover in presence of her blind husband sitting in the garden:

“coughen she bigan
And with hir fynger signes made she
That Damyan sholde clymbe upon a tree.”

Chaucer successfully takes the reader in his realm of imagination, making the reader see the situation through his eyes, and thinking through his brain.

Chaucer has been regarded as a great story teller in verse. His work holds a great variety, length wise and subject wise. His tone is at the same time both comic and serious. His satire is also sharp and pungent and it also evokes sympathy. He has while writing comic scenes, did not let rhyme go out of order. Chaucer had a full command over all levels of speech. All in all Chaucer was one of the great artists, English literature has ever produced.

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