英国文学史G-Chaucer2.pptVIP

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) Forerunner of English Renaissance Father of English poetry Father of English realism Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer Born c. 1343 London, England Died 25 October 1400(1400-10-25) (aged 56-57) Resting place Westminster Abbey, London Occupation poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, diplomat Language Middle English Key Points  About Geoffrey Chaucer Life 1. Rich life experience: a royal page, a soldier, a diplomat, a government official, a courtier. 2. Wide range of learning: familiar with European languages, literature and culture, Latin, French and Italian, had excellent knowledge of literature, law, science and medicine. About Geoffrey Chaucer Born in an urban middle class； In the service of the ruling class； The diplomatic mission that sent Chaucer to Italy in 1372 was a milestone in his literary development. He had direct contact with the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps he acquired manuscripts of works by Dante, Patriarch, and Boccaccio. About Geoffrey Chaucer Literary career 1. French period (1360s-1372) Chiefly under the influence of Medieval French literature; Romance of the Rose 2. Italian period (1373-1385) Influenced by Italian literature of early Renaissance; Dante (Divine Comedy), Boccaccio ( Decameron), Petrarch Triolus and Cressie, the House of Fame, the Legend of Good Women 3. English period (1386-1400) The Canterbury Tales, his masterpiece About Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer’s World Chaucer lived in the later part of the 14thC; a transitional period; the old feudal system, where social position was determined by the amount of land, was giving way to a more open and mercant