lecture 5, zhang.pptVIP

Part III Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) The two contemporaries of Chaucer: John Wycliff (1324-1384): The “Father of English prose”. He translated the Bible into Middle English. William Langland (1330-1400): The Vision of Piers Plowman《农夫皮尔斯》An alliterative poem , an allegory 寓言. Piers the Plowman 《农夫皮尔斯》 (1)It is a long poem of over 7,000 lines. The poem set forth a series of wonderful dreams, through which we can see a picture of feudal England. It opens with a description of the author’s visionary wandering in the Malvern Hills, where he fell asleep, dreaming of a fair field full of people. Some were industriously employed in ploughing and sowing, only the idlers might waste the fruits of their labor. (2) Satirize corruption among clergyman牧师，教士 and the secular世俗的 authorities (3) Upholds the dignity and value of labor (4) It takes the form of a dream vision, a favorite device of medieval poems dream vision：(中世纪)叙(或述)梦寓言诗(以梦表现寓意的寓言诗)[亦作 dream allegory] Part III Geoffrey Chaucer  （1340？-1400）杰弗里·乔叟 I. Chaucer’s Life II. Chaucer’s Literary Career III. The Canterbury Tales IV. Chaucer’s Contribution Chaucer: some basic facts Full name: Geoffrey Chaucer Birth death: 1340?—1400 Career: A wide range of career as courtier, soldier, diplomat, and civil servant Place in British literature: 1) “father of English poetry” and one of the greatest narrative poets of England 2) Forerunner of humanism（人文主义） 3) The first realistic writer 4) Master of the English language Chaucer’s life experience 1. He was born into a wine merchant family in London. 2. At 17, he became a page 男侍者in a nobleman’s household. 3. At 19, he went to France with the English army百年战争 and was imprisoned 4. He was married to a maid of honor 宫女to the queen at 26. 5. At 27 he entered the service of the king. 6. From 1372-1373 he went to Italy on diplomatic missions. 7. In 1374, he was made controller of customs in London. 8. He was even made MP（Member o