Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400) was an English poet and a foundational figure in English literature. Born in London, he served at the royal court and as a diplomat, gaining exposure to various languages and cultures that informed his writing. He died in London in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner.

Chaucer wrote in Middle English at a time when French and Latin dominated high literature. He helped establish English as a language capable of sustained literary expression and created some of the era’s most vivid and diverse characters.

His best-known work, The Canterbury Tales, is framed as a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury in which a cross-section of medieval society tells stories to entertain their fellow travelers. The project was left unfinished at his death, and about 24 tales survive. The tales range in theme and tone—from chivalric romance and pious exemplum to bawdy comedy and sharp social satire—and they are notable for their voice diversity and realism. The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, and The Pardoner’s Tale are among the best known.

Other major works include Troilus and Criseyde, a long narrative poem based on Boccaccio’s Il Filostrato; The Book of the Duchess, an elegy; The House of Fame, a dream-vision; and The Legend of Good Women. He also produced translations and adaptations from French and Italian.

Chaucer’s stylistic innovations and use of English helped free later writers to work in the vernacular; The Canterbury Tales remains a landmark in English literature for its linguistic variety, social observation, and narrative craft.