Geoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400)
1.Life
Geoffrey Chaucer, born about in 1340 in London, is the founder of English poetry. He was the son of a wine merchant who had connections with the Court.
Chaucer’s learning was wide in scope. He obtained a good knowledge of Latin, French and Italian. He had broad and intimate acquaintance with persons high and low in all walks of life, and knew well the whole life of his time, which left great impressions upon his works and particularly upon the variegated picture of the English society of his time.
He died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, thus founding the “Poets’ Corner”.
2.Main works
The Book of the Duchess (1336)
The Parliament of Fowls (1380)
The House of Fame (1374-1384)
Troilus and Criseyde (1380-1385)
The Canterbury Tales (1386-1400)
3.Chaucer’s Literary Career
Chaucer’s literary career can be divided into three periods, which is closely related to his life experiences. The first period consists of works translated from French; the second consists of works adapted from the Italian, as Troilus and Criseyde. The third period includes The Canterbury Tales, which is purely English.
4.Selected works
◆ The Canterbury Tales（1386-1400）
(1) Main plot
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales (mostly in verse, although some are in prose) are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark on their return.
(2) Social Significances of The Canterbury Tales
a. It shows a true-to-life picture of Chaucer’s time.
b. Taking from the stand of rising bourgeoisie, Chaucer affirms men and opposes the dogma of asceticism preached by the Church.
c. He praises man’s energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life.
d. His tales expose and satirize the evils of his time, attack degeneration of the noble, the corruption of the Church.
(3) Chaucer’s Language
a. Chaucer’s language, now called Middle English, is vivid and exact. He is a master of word-pictures. His verse is among the smoothest in English.
b. Chaucer’s contribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types, especially the heroic couplet to English poetry.
c. Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech.
d. Chaucer is good at the terza rima, which makes his language a high style. This is what other poets cannot reach.
| 杰弗里·乔叟（1340-1400）
1．生平
杰弗里·乔叟于1340年出生于伦敦，他是英语诗歌的创始者。他是一个与宫廷有联系的酒商的儿子。
乔叟知识渊博。他精通拉丁语，法语和意大利语。他结交广泛且易与人深交，无论是贵族还是贫民,因此他深谙所处世事。这尤其有益于他的作品中的英国社会的刻画。
他逝于1400年，被葬在威斯敏斯特教堂，“诗人角”开始出现。
2．主要作品
《公爵夫人之书》（1336）
《百鸟会议》（1380）
《声誉之堂》（1374-1384）
《特罗勒斯与克丽西德》（1380-1385）
《坎特伯雷故事集》（1386-1400）
3．文学生平
乔叟的文学生平可划分为三个阶段，这三个阶段与其个人生活经历有关。第一阶段乔叟的作品主要是从法语翻译过来的，第二阶段则改编于意大利，如《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》。第三阶段包括《坎特伯雷故事集》，这是纯英语创作阶段。
4．选读作品
《坎特伯雷故事集》
（1）内容提要
《坎特伯雷故事集》是一部诗体短篇小说集，叙述朝圣者一行人会聚在泰巴旅店，他们准备前往坎特伯雷去朝拜圣托马斯。途中他们进行讲故事比赛，讲得最好的人，回到旅店后大家合起来请他吃饭。
（2）社会影响
a．展示乔叟时代的真实生活画面。
b．站在发展中的小资产阶级的立场，乔叟肯定了人的力量，反对教会宣扬的禁欲主义。
c．赞扬了人的力量，智慧和对生活的热爱。
d．展现并批判了时代的罪恶，批判了贵族和教会的堕落。
（3）乔叟的语言
a．乔叟的语言属于中英语，非常形象准确。他是用语言构建图画的大师。他的诗歌位列最顺畅的英语中。
b．乔叟对英语诗歌的贡献主要在于他将法国的韵脚重复的诗节（尤其是英雄双韵体）介绍到英国。
c．乔叟在使伦敦方言成为现代英语的标准中发挥了重要作用。
d．乔叟善于使用三行体，这种诗体使他的语言很高雅。这是其他诗人无法匹敌的。
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