Geoffrey Chaucer: Biography

Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the highest-ranking medieval writers who are famous in writing historical books and articles. When compared to other writers to include the likes of Langland and the Pearl Poet, Geoffrey Chaucer's way of life is similar to an open book when it comes to formal records of his events. The biography in this paper is founded on a collection of legitimate documents that provide a reliable source of information about his life from childhood to adulthood. The report that has this information is known as Chaucer's Record of Life. This document about the life of the great writer is edited by a renowned editor by the name of Martin Crow and his counterpart, Clair Olson. The paper, therefore, contains an impressive record of a collection of life events experienced by Chaucer. However, the sources about the personal nature of Chaucer are not adequately available. Chaucer is considered as the pioneer of Poetry done in English. He is ranked among the most famous personas of the early years of 1500. Many people admired him and his philosophical works. He was dear to many for his outstanding poetic skills. Among the most known literary work by Geoffrey Chaucer include The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde (Brown 22).

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It is not clear about the exact date that Chaucer was born. The precise place of his birth is still a mystery, as no one knows. The records are not captured in the document mentioned earlier, which contains the life story of Chaucer. The available evidence provides that, nevertheless, that he was born around 1345 or some two years earlier. The confirmation also ensures that he might have been born in his father's house, which had its location on Thames Street in London in the country of England.

After his birth, just like any other child who is born, he grew up in the care of his mother and father without many problems. He continued to grow, and there came a time when he attained the school-going age. His parents sent him to school. Many people believe that the young Chaucer schooled at a Cathedral of Saint Paul's church school. He was also acquainted to excellent creativity and poetry. The first historical record about Geoffrey Chaucer was sealed in 1357. The paper provides information that by this time, Chaucer was a small boy who got in the service of a knight. He was doing this at the house of Countess of Ulster and the spouse to Lionel, who was a prince.

Not much is known about the life of Chaucer six years later. The documents that were available during that time had information that he had traveled to Spain on a job mission on diplomatic issues as he was a diplomat. He stayed for some years in Spain. Upon the successful completion of his foreign responsibilities, it came a time when he had to travel back to England. He stayed in England for several days. After arrival in Britain, Geoffrey Chaucer met a lady by the name of Philipa, whom he loved and decided against marrying her. Chaucer got married to Phillipa around the year 1366. Philippa was an assistant to the wife of King Edward, the third and Katherine, who was her sister, who later on was the third wife to a friend of Chaucer by the name of John Gaunts, who was the son to King Edward. This resulted in Chaucer's affiliation with majestic kin by matrimony. Tentatively the number of kids Chaucer and his wife got, three of them became famous. Thomas Chaucer was his son, who had an occupation as a ruler and was an orator in the parliament. Alice was the daughter to Thomas and wedded the Duke of Suffolk. His known grandchild, John de la Pole, was the successor of the kingdom, following his nomination.

Philippa was a young lady who was said to be beautiful. She was a lady who was always in the chamber of the queen when she was taking care of her. It was after the attachment with the lady that Chaucer started to develop close connections with a gentleman by the name of John Gaunt. This was taking place in the year 1340 till 1399. Geoffrey Chaucer did develop not only ties with Gaunt but also developed relationships with other people such as Lancaster's Duke, among other people of dignity and status. It was in the year 1368 when Geoffrey Chaucer got a promotion to the squire after being a page for some time. Squire is a rank that had a higher rank compared to a page. Nevertheless, this position was slightly below the post of a knight. That was the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Chaucer.

Reminiscent of several other well-known people for the duration of that period, the father to Chaucer was a mauve trader in the Ipswich state of Britain and regarded among members of the middle class. In the fourteenth era, he was entirely changed into folio for Elizabeth de Burgh. This was due to his father's influence. Chaucer was also an aristocratic civil servant and diplomat. Besides, he was working for the king, where he was gathering and storing used metals.

Chaucer was well knowledgeable in a diversity of fields and interpreted on a wide assortment of themes. His initial fictional influences came from French symbolic orators, admired with the English aristocracy. While on a diplomatic trip to Italy in 1372, Chaucer experienced revitalization. This incorporated extensive assortments of writing, work of art, melody, and extra efforts to revitalize impacts from traditional Greek and Roman epochs. He was exclusive in numerous concerns, for he could interpret and engrave in French, Latin, and Italian. Not like many poets at that period, Chaucer wrote in English. Chaucer is supposed to have been motivated by Italian authors Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, whose workings he read while roving to Italy. Nevertheless, his workings were exclusively diverse, for he produced his inscription styles and mechanisms. (Crow, Olson 27)

The turning point and the start of the fortunes of Geoffrey Chaucer were at the beginning of the year 1369. While in England, his career took a new turn. During this year, Chaucer was still a young person. The actual transition of his career and life at large occurred when his friends the Lancaster Duke and John Gaunt asked him to compose a poem in memory of a person. They requested him to create an English poem, which they wanted to present at the mass of his dead wife. Before the year 1369, when he wrote the poem that was written in French by a court in England (Howard 45). During this time, French was the typical tongue of the royal family, both the king as well as the queen. There is a possibility that Geoffrey Chaucer had authored a devotional poem in English, an ABC, which was the translation from a material that was written in French for the royal family prior to her demise.

The themes of his literary work, which is going by the name of Book of the Duchess, which its writing was inspired to capture the intellectual and complicated groups of people to remind them of some memories. The content of this book was a perfect fitting memory to one of the most popular ladies in the house of royals in England.

In the year 1370, Geoffrey Chaucer was sent abroad for diplomatic missions again. This was not the last time that he would be sent for foreign issues in other countries. In the year 1372 to 1373, he went back outside of England for a similar diplomatic mission (Howard 45). The mission during this time took him to Florence and Genoa in Italy. While in Italy for foreign purposes, Chaucer was able to better and deepen his acquaintance with the traditions of poetry, which were introduced by Dante between the years 1256 to 1321 as well as Petrarch, who established his between the years 1304 to 1374 (Howard 45). Here, things were pleasant for both Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife since they were financially stable. The two had earned good money for themselves since they were working in the Royal House. Additionally, Gaunt and the Lancaster Duke were offering him a yearly payment of about ten pounds. This was the payment that a normal squire in the households of the distinguished people of England, in this case, the royal family would earn.

The life of Chaucer continued to get better as time went by. The king would later appoint him as the controller of taxes. The controller of taxes position was a high rank as he was the principal accounting officer. He would control the taxes on wools from the farmers, hides, and other items at the port of London. This was a senior position in England. The rank was a fortune to him as it attracted ten more pounds on his salary per year. The ten pounds per year were in terms of a bonus of doing a good job. The London City gave Chaucer a house to live in without incurring any cost in terms of rent. The residence was located above Aldgate. Geoffrey Chaucer lived at Aldgate for several years until 1386. However, while living at Aldgate, Chaucer would still make more trips outside the country for diplomatic missions. He would go on these missions on behalf of King Edward, who later passed on in the year 1377 (Howard 45). He would also go for the diplomatic missions for King Richard the Second between the years 1367 and 1400. It was until the year 1382 when he was appointed the chief accounting officer of taxes on commodities such as wine and other goods. He was also bestowed with the right to hire his deputy of choice and as per the qualities that he would want.

"The Book of the Duchess," also depicted as "The Death of Blanche," is the most primitive works of Chaucer (Brown 22). It's a reverie apparition account or a rhyme in which the storyteller falls slumbering and dreams all through the vocation. The anticipated rendezvous of the masterpiece is among the years of 1369 and 1372, although supplementary current studies propose it may have been accomplished as untimely as 1368. People believe that the writer of the ode to cater to the death of Blanche was Chaucer. Blanche died from the Black Plague. Proof indicates that ode was authored upon the request by Gaunt.

The poem opens with the restless writer mendacious in the divan, interpreting a manuscript. It tells the story of the couple Ceyx and Alcyone, which explains how Ceyx died while at sea (Brown 22). This hardback makes the writer meander about in his judgment, unexpectedly diminishing asleep and dreaming a fantastic account. The lyricist dreamed that he woke up in a gorgeous board room by the resonance of hunters and dogs. He then follows small hunting afflicts into the forest and comes across a knight decent in black, who bereaves about trailing his emperor in a pastime of chess (Brown 22). He says that he has of Sorwe so great won that the Joye get he never none and adds that now he sees his lady bright, that he loved with all his might. The lyricist asks the knight some questions and realizes at the end of the poem that he was talking characteristically sooner than factually. The knight stalks of his loves' surpassing prettiness and disposition and indicates that her name was "superior, flaxen White." The narrator at tranquil fails to comprehend and enquires the location of White where the knight confirmed that White had passed away. The poet also found out what had taken place at the track split ends. He reflects on the hallucination and decides that his meditation is so magnificent that it should be laid down into assonance (Brown 22).

"From every shires end of England, downhill to Canterbury they went to search for the holy blissful martyr," is a prominent quotation from Chaucer's recognized vocation, "The Canterbury Tales." (Prologue, 112. 15-17) Written between 1387 and 1400, the Canterbury Tales is an outline fiction or a tale that offers a basis for impressing other tales (Brown 22). The frame tale is first established in the Canterbury Tales, which introduces a very miscellaneous collection of characters in addition to the narrator. The rest of the work consists mainly of tale...