Geofrey Chaucer

Geofrey Chaucer, known as the Father of English literature, is

widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. While
he achieved fae during his lifetie as an author, philosopher,
alcheist and astronoer, coposing a scienti!c treatise on the
astrola"e for his ten year#old son $ewis, Chaucer also aintained an
active career in the civil service as a "ureaucrat, courtier and diploat.
Chaucer is a crucial !gure in developing the legitiacy of the Middle
English, at a tie when the doinant literary languages in England
were French and $atin.
Geofrey Chaucer was "orn in $ondon soetie around %&'&,
though the precise date and location of his "irth reain unknown. (is
father and grandfather were "oth $ondon vintners) several previous
generations had "een erchants in *pswich. +(is faily nae derives
fro the French chausseur, eaning ,shoeaker,.-
.he !rst of the ,Chaucer $ife /ecords, appears in %&01, in the
household accounts of Eli2a"eth de 3urgh, the Countess of 4lster,
when he "ecae the no"lewoan5s page, through his father5s
connections. 6he was arried to $ionel, 7uke of Clarence, the second
surviving son of the king, Edward ***, and the position "rought the
teenage Chaucer into the close court circle, where he was to reain for
the rest of his life. (e also worked as a courtier, a diploat, and a civil
servant, as well as working for the king, collecting and inventorying
scrap etal.
After %&89, Chaucer5s life is uncertain, "ut he sees to have
travelled in France, 6pain, and Flanders, possi"ly as a essenger and
perhaps even going on a pilgriage to 6antiago de Copostela.
Around %&88, Chaucer arried :hilippa +de- /oet. *t is uncertain how
any children Chaucer and :hilippa had, "ut three or four are ost
coonly cited.
(e is "elieved to have died of unknown causes on ;0 <cto"er
%'99, "ut there is no !r evidence for this date, as it coes fro the
engraving on his to", erected ore than one hundred years after his
death. .here is soe speculation that he was urdered "y eneies of
/ichard ** or even on the orders of his successor (enry *=, "ut the case
is entirely circustantial. Chaucer was "uried in Westinster A""ey in
$ondon, as was his right owing to his status as a tenant of the A""ey5s
close. *n %008, his reains were transferred to a ore ornate to",
aking Chaucer the !rst writer interred in the area now known as
:oets5 Corner.
Major works
.ranslation of /oan de la /ose, possi"ly e>tant as .he /oaunt
of the /ose, .he 3ook of the 7uchess, .he (ouse of Fae, Anelida and
Arcite, :arleent of Foules, .ranslation of 3oethius5 Consolation of
:hilosophy as 3oece, .roilus and Criseyde, .he $egend of Good
Woen, .he Canter"ury .ales, A .reatise on the Astrola"e.