The Parliament of Birds
by Geoffrey Chaucer, D. S. Brewer (Editor)
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This edition of the best of Chaucer' s shorter poems ranges widely over the major concerns necessary to a full understanding of the text, including its occasion, literary tradition, sources, rhetoric, language, metre, mythology and themes. It is an edition which will appeal both to students and to general readers who wish to extend their knowledge of medieval English poetry.Tags
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Apparently ex-lib MED but no markings except pencilled price (12/6).
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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
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Parliament of Birds
- Original title
- The Parlement of Foulys
- Alternate titles
- Parlement of Foules; Parlement of Briddes; Assemble of Foules
- Original publication date
- 1960 (D S Brewer edition) (D S Brewer edition)
- People/Characters
- Anne of Bohemia, Queen Consort of England; Richard II, King of England; Scipio Africanus; Scipio Aemilianus; Formel (courted in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules); Tercels (suitors in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules) (show all 7); Venus (Deity)
- Important places
- Carthage
- First words
- INTRODUCTION
In The Parlement of Foulys the variety of tone, the brightness of description, the vivid realism of the birds' debate, which are instantly attractive, are matched by the rich significances and subtle co... (show all)mplexities of mood which lie beneath the surface of the poem.
Here begynyth the Parlement of Foulys
The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so sharp, so hard the conquerynge,
The dredful loye, alwey that slit so ȝerne,
All this mene I b... (show all)e Loue, that myn felynge
Astonyith with his wondyrful workynge
So sore iwis, that whan I on hym thynke,
Nat wot I wel wher that I flete or synke
Classifications
- Genres
- Poetry, Fiction and Literature, Literature Studies and Criticism
- DDC/MDS
- 821.1 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English Poetry 1066-1400 Early English period, medieval period
- LCC
- PR1885 .B7 — Language and Literature English English Literature Anglo-Norman period. Early English. Middle English
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 113
- Popularity
- 287,985
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.06)
- Languages
- English, English (Middle)
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 2
