Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: Annotated and Accented, with Illustrations of English life in Chaucer's Time; New and Revised Edition
by John Saunders, Geoffrey Chaucer
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Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most notable English poets of all time and is sometimes referred to as the Father of English literature. He lived during the fourteenth century and was a noted author, philosopher, alchemist, and civil servant. His most well known work is The Canterbury Tales, which are published here as part of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Annotated and Accented - with Illustrations of English Life in Chaucer's Time. Saunders' book is not merely a collection of Chaucer's work. show more Rather, the editor and author has included nearly two hundred pages of contextual information on the life of Chaucer, and the characters, settings, and time periods that are detailed in The Canterbury Tales. Specifically, these introductory chapters are devoted to discussions of The Tabard, chivalry, religion, professional men, and trade and commerce. Following this introduction, the stories that together form The Canterbury Tales are presented. Structured as a Pilgrim story-telling contest, these tales are written in both verse and traditional prose. The tales are highly critical of English society and in particular the role of the Church. In all fourteen works from The Canterbury Tales are included in this collection, along with four of Chaucer's works from other collections. Each story is presented alongside remarks from John Saunders, who helps to analyze the story for the modern reader. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Annotated and Accented - with Illustrations of English Life in Chaucer's Time is a collection of some of the most revered and influential writing in the history of the English language. This book is a must read for anybody who appreciates modern literature and is interested in the work of one of its founding fathers. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. show lessTags
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Geoffrey Chaucer, one of England's greatest poets, was born in London about 1340, the son of a wine merchant and deputy to the king's butler and his wife Agnes. Not much is known of Chaucer's early life and education, other than he learned to read French, Latin, and Italian. His experiences as a civil servant and diplomat are said to have show more developed his fascination with people and his knowledge of English life. In 1359-1360 Chaucer traveled with King Edward III's army to France during the Hundred Years' War and was captured in Ardennes. He returned to England after the Treaty of Bretigny when the King paid his ransom. In 1366 he married Philippa Roet, one of Queen Philippa's ladies, who gave him two sons and two daughters. Chaucer remained in royal service traveling to Flanders, Italy, and Spain. These travels would all have a great influence on his work. His early writing was influenced by the French tradition of courtly love poetry, and his later work by the Italians, especially Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. Chaucer wrote in Middle English, the form of English used from 1100 to about 1485. He is given the designation of the first English poet to use rhymed couplets in iambic pentameter and to compose successfully in the vernacular. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of humorous, bawdy, and poignant stories told by a group of fictional pilgrims traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. It is considered to be among the masterpieces of literature. His works also include The Book of the Duchess, inspired by the death of John Gaunt's first wife; House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls, and The Legend of Good Women. Troilus and Criseyde, adapted from a love story by Boccaccio, is one of his greatest poems apart from The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in London on October 25, 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, in what is now called Poet's Corner. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1845
- Disambiguation notice
- An abridged, partially paraphrased into prose and highly annotated edition. Please do not combine with main edition of the Canterbury Tales.
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