Chaucer: Ackroyd's Brief LivesIn the first in a new series of brief biographies, bestselling author Peter Ackroyd brilliantly evokes the medieval world of England and provides an incomparable introduction to the great poet’s works. Geoffrey Chaucer, who died in 1400, lived a surprisingly eventful life. He served with the Duke of Clarence and with Edward III, and in 1359 was taken prisoner in France and ransomed. Through his wife, Philippa, he gained the patronage of John of Gaunt, which helped him carve out a career at Court. His posts included Controller of Customs at the Port of London, Knight of the Shire for Kent, and King's Forester. He went on numerous adventurous diplomatic missions to France and Italy. Yet he was also indicted for rape, sued for debt, and captured in battle. He began to write in the 1360s, and is now known as the father of English poetry. His Troilus and Criseyde is the first example of modern English literature, and his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, the forerunner of the English novel, dominated the last part of his life. In his lively style, Peter Ackroyd, one of the most acclaimed biographers and novelists writing today, brings us an eye-opening portrait, rich in drama and colorful historical detail, of a prolific, multifaceted genius. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 88
Page x
... Chaucer's " Legend of Good Women . " Part of the designs for Red House , Bexleyheath . Victoria and Albert Museum / BAL Stonemasons , by Bertrand Boysset ( 1355–1415 ) . Giraudon / BAL Historiated letter " D " depicting a philosopher ...
... Chaucer's " Legend of Good Women . " Part of the designs for Red House , Bexleyheath . Victoria and Albert Museum / BAL Stonemasons , by Bertrand Boysset ( 1355–1415 ) . Giraudon / BAL Historiated letter " D " depicting a philosopher ...
Page xvi
... Chaucer's art . From the age of fourteen until the very end of his life , he remained in royal service . He was a ... Chaucer's early verse was part of these love games . The audience in the picture also repays examination . The figure ...
... Chaucer's art . From the age of fourteen until the very end of his life , he remained in royal service . He was a ... Chaucer's early verse was part of these love games . The audience in the picture also repays examination . The figure ...
Page xvii
... Chaucer's early and most courtly poetry . Yet some of the women here do not seem to be listen- ing to Chaucer ; the apparently rapt attention of others could also be interpreted as boredom or bewilderment . By indirection this touches ...
... Chaucer's early and most courtly poetry . Yet some of the women here do not seem to be listen- ing to Chaucer ; the apparently rapt attention of others could also be interpreted as boredom or bewilderment . By indirection this touches ...
Page xviii
Ackroyd's Brief Lives Peter Ackroyd. Geoffrey Chaucer was a poet , but he was also a diplomat and an official who at various times supervised the building works of the king and the custom tariffs at the Port of London . He was appointed ...
Ackroyd's Brief Lives Peter Ackroyd. Geoffrey Chaucer was a poet , but he was also a diplomat and an official who at various times supervised the building works of the king and the custom tariffs at the Port of London . He was appointed ...
Page 2
... Chaucer's family - Robert le Chaucer ac- quired his name from his quondam master , a mercer named John le Chaucer who was killed in the course of a brawl . The poet's father , John Chaucer , was a successful and influential vintner , or ...
... Chaucer's family - Robert le Chaucer ac- quired his name from his quondam master , a mercer named John le Chaucer who was killed in the course of a brawl . The poet's father , John Chaucer , was a successful and influential vintner , or ...
Contents
1 | |
17 | |
The Diplomat | 28 |
An Italian Connection | 43 |
The Civil Servant | 52 |
The Court of the Boy King | 68 |
A Nest of Troubles | 86 |
Bloody Revolt | 98 |
The Affairs of Troy | 105 |
Residence in Kent | 119 |
The Tales of Canterbury | 138 |
Last Years | 169 |
Selected Reading | 175 |
Translations of the Quoted Material | 177 |
Index | 183 |
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Common terms and phrases
affairs Aldgate Alice Perrers annuity appointed audience Barnabo become Boccaccio Canterbury Canterbury Tales career Cecily Champain celebrated characters Chaucer seems Church clerk composed concerned contemporary context course court courtiers courtly Dante death despatched diplomat dream early Edward Edward III England English evidence example exchequer fact fourteenth century France French gates Geoffrey Chaucer House of Fame imagination Italian John Gower John of Gaunt journey Katherine Katherine Swynford Kent king king's Knight's Tale knights known lady later Legend literary long poem manuscript marriage medieval merchants Milan narrated narrative negotiations Parliament parody perhaps period Petrarch petty custom Philippa Chaucer pilgrimage pilgrims poet poetic poetry Port of London pounds Prince Lionel Prologue Queen Ralph Strode raptus Richard Richard II romances royal household sense story Street suggests ther Thomas thow tion translation treatise Troilus and Criseyde urban verse Visconti Westminster wife write young Chaucer
Popular passages
Page 59 - For when thy labour doon al ys, And hast mad alle thy rekenynges, In stede of reste and newe thynges, Thou goost horn to thy hous anoon; And, also domb as any stoon, Thou sittest at another book Tyl fully daswed ys thy look, And lyvest thus as an heremyte, Although thyn abstynence ys lyte'.
Page 122 - Go, litel bok, go, litel myn tragedye, Ther God thi makere yet, er that he dye, So sende myght to make in som comedye!
Page 171 - The characters of Chaucer's Pilgrims are the characters which compose all ages and nations. As one age falls, another rises, different to mortal sight, but to immortals only the same; for we see the same characters repeated again and again, in animals, vegetables, minerals, and in men. Nothing new occurs in identical existence j Accident ever varies, Substance can never suffer change nor decay. Of Chaucer's characters, as described in his Canterbury Tales...
Page 176 - I, for ye be my lady dere! I am so sory, now that ye be light; For certes, but ye make me hevy chere...
Page 156 - I kan right now no thrifty tale seyn That Chaucer, thogh he kan but lewedly On metres and on rymyng craftily, Hath seyd hem in swich Englissh as he kan Of olde tyme, as knoweth many a man; SO And if he have noght seyd hem, leve brother, In o book, he hath seyd hem in another.
Page 83 - Thoo was I war, lo, at the laste, That faste be the sonne, as hye As kenne myghte I with myn ye, Me thoughte I sawgh an egle sore, But that hit semed moche more Then I had any egle seyn. But this as sooth as deth, certeyn, Hyt was of gold, and shon so bryghte That never sawe men such a syghte, But yf the heven had ywonne Al newe of gold another sonne; So shone the egles fethers bryghte, And somwhat dounward gan hyt lyghte.
Page 166 - Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, is right ynogh for me To speke of wo that is in mariage...
Page 160 - Right as ther dyed nevere man," quod he, "That he ne lyvede in erthe in som degree, Right so ther lyvede never man," he seyde, 2845 "In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde. This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo, And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro. Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore.