The Life of Geoffrey Chaucer - A Brief Biography
Geoffrey Chaucer, known as the Father of English Poetry, led a fascinating life from his early years in London to his later years overseeing royal projects and writing "The Canterbury Tales." He was a poet, courtier, diplomat, and member of Parliament, leaving a lasting legacy on English literature through his innovative use of decasyllabic couplets and iambic pentameter. Chaucer's tomb in Westminster Abbey stands as a testament to his importance in the history of English poetry.
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The Life of Geoffrey Chaucer Sahana Premkumaar, Ryan Rahman, Pranav Subramanian
Early Life Born - c. 1343 to John Chaucer & Agnes Copton (most likely in London) Parents were well-off, owned several buildings in London Dad (John Chaucer) a wealthy wine merchant Nice education (probably had some exposure to Latin, Greek, and classics) 1357 - Became a page to Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster (wife of King Edward III s son) Joined English army s invasion of France during The Hundred Years War Taken prisoner during Siege of Rheims; King Edward III of England paid his ransom in 1360 King Edward III
Middle Life 1366 - Married Philipa de Roet, a lady-in-waiting for king s wife 1367 Received life pension from King Had 4 kids with Philipa (Thomas Chaucer, Elizabeth Chaucy, Agnes and Lewis Chaucer) Heavily influenced by his dealings in exotic places in Genoa Began writing poems in 1370 Portrait of Chaucer
Jobs Page, courtier, member of Parliament (elected in 1386 for Kent), collector of scrap metal, justice of peace, clerk June 20, 1367- Appointed as valet for the king 1372 & 1378 - Was sent on diplomatic missions to other nations like France and Genoa Exposed to great men like Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio June 8, 1374 - Appointed as comptroller of customs for wools, skins, and hides for London; a lucrative job Held the above post for a dozen years Worked on some of his most famous works Chaucer on diplomatic missions
Later Years 1387 - Wrote The Canterbury Tales Oversaw royal projects & worked with both Edward III and Richard II (Edward III s successor) Death - October 25, 1400 Chaucer s most famous work
Legacy Father of English Poetry First poet to be buried in the Poet s Corner of Westminster Abbey Decasyllabic couplet used in TheCanterbury Tales evolved into the heroic couplet, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry in English Pioneered the regular use of iambic pentameter Chaucer s Tomb at Westminster Abbey
Bibliography Fleming, John. "College Board." AP Central. CollegeBoard, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. <http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/homepage/21974.html>. "Geoffrey Chaucer." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/chaucer_geoffrey.shtml>. "Geoffrey Chaucer." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/geoffrey-chaucer>. Laird, Judith. "Biography Of Geoffrey Chaucer." Critical Insights: The Canterbury Tales (2010): 6-10. Literary Reference Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=57400606&site=lrc-live>. Sanna, Ellyn. "Chaucer, Geoffrey." In Harold Bloom, ed. Geoffrey Chaucer, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&WID&SingleRecord=True>. Strohm, Paul. "Chaucer, Geoffrey." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar108040>.
Picture Sources http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/wp- content/uploads/2012/02/KingEdwardIII.jpg http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/5-geoffrey-chaucer- granger.jpg http://home.gwu.edu/~jhsy/wma-tomb.jpg http://cdn.rainbowresource.netdna-cdn.com/products/000645.jpg http://people.umass.edu/eng2/images/auth/chaucer.jpg
