Geoffrey Chaucer as the father of English poetry
Geoffrey Chaucer is called the father of English poetry. He symbolizes the Middle Ages, as no other author does. He is in much the same relationship to life in his time as Alexander Pope does to the 18th century and Tennyson to the Victorian era. Chaucer’s place in English literature is more important than both of them. He is the first great English writer. His work is divided into three distinct stages;
In his first phase he was under the influence of the French (1357-72).
The second phase was under the influence of Italian (1372-86).
The third phase of his life was that he focused on the original originality and produced his own literature in English (1386-1400).
Literature was not published or not in people’s approach before him. There was the government of the Normans in Britain who came from France, French was therefore the official language and Latin was the language of religious people and churches because their holy book ‘Bible’ was in Latin. Chaucer was the first person to introduce modern English language into the UK.
At the time, there were four dialects of English used in the UK.
In London there was a mid-country dialect. Chaucer chose this midland and set his standard on this dialect. He used ornate and ornate words in his poetry that people liked a lot. And the next generation used this type of word in their writings, and people used to speak these modern words in their daily language, as Chaucer introduced in his writings. Canterbury Tales is a landmark in Chaucer’s life, and he is known for it.
Chaucer is also a pioneer of English novel. In his Troilus and Criseyde and The Canterbury Tales we can find the seeds of the novel. He was called the first novelist even before the novel’s appearance in the UK, and he was also called the first playwright even before the drama’s appearance in the UK. Therefore he is also called the Father of English Literature. But he is known for his poetry.
Characteristics of Chaucer’s Poetry:
Chaucer had a very busy career as a man of affairs, poetry for him was necessarily a part-time activity. Chaucer made several contributions to English poetry. He sought to expand the poets’ reach, reach and mentality, introduced very close observations of life around him, presented the crystal clear picture of his relationship through his writings, distinguished himself in characterization and, above all, gave a new form to English language and poetry. With these contributions, he remains at the top of the history of English literature and no one can challenge his position. There are several features of his poetry.
· The first great national poet
Chaucer was the first great national poet. I have expressed the new aspirations and aspirations of his people. The basis of Chaucer’s art lies in English life and character.
Realism tries to describe life without idealization. Chaucer was the first realist in English literature. I rejected the themes of traditional concept of fantasy and ideality. Before him, the war, the heroes, and the royal family were the main topics for the poets, but Chaucer broke this chain and focused on reality. Everything in his Canterbury Tales was from life. He was a good observer; he saw the appearance, attire and behavior of pilgrims very deeply. He painted, as is what he observed.
· narrative Ability
Chaucer is much appreciated for his narrative ability. His power as a narrator, the power of telling an interesting story is simply astounding. He is the first great English storyteller in verse form. His use of verses as a narrative is the most memorable contribution, and modern English literature is very grateful to him in this regard. His Canterbury Tales are actually a collection of excellent tales.
He is considered the first great English humorist. No English literary work before him expressed humor in the modern sense. It was serious and based on heroic deeds. Chaucer’s humor is always sympathetic, natural and spontaneous.
In English literature, Chaucer is the first great draftsman of characters. He presents his character in a masterful way. He presents his characters both individually and in terms of types.
William Blake believes that the characters in Chaucer’s pilgrims are the character that compose all ages and nations. The knight, the Friar, the bath-woman, the physician of physics, the prioress, the monk, the merchant, and many others are alive and eternally fresh, and their features symbolize the characteristics of universal human life. Such characterization provided the guideline for future writers.
· Iambic Pentameter and Rhyme-Royal
The credit for the use of rim-royal for the first time in English literature goes to Chaucer. Rim-royal is also called Chaucerian stanza; the seven-line penalty with rhyme scheme by ABABBCC. I borrowed this technique from France. King James I of Scotland in the 15th century used this stanza in his famous poem “King Quair”.
When five stress syllables are used in a poet’s verse, it is called a pentameter. Iambic pentameter means ‘rhythm for five syllable patterns’.
eg “Grave nods at the grove, every street has a brother.”
· Humanistic view
Poetry not only depicts the art and artistry of the age, but rather also suggests humanistic view. This reflection of humanity in poetry starts with Chaucerian literature. His descriptions of his fellow human beings express his broad humanity and prepare the way for Shakespeare. He has no hatred for the fools and no taste for rascals. He is the poet of humanity.
Chaucer also introduced the rhyme clutch at the end of each stanza.
To wind up the above discussion, we might say that he stands alone and that no one climbs right with him. It can be said that Chaucer, with his remarkable, impressive and extensive literary works, has so far not been exceeded. English language and literature became mature because of Chaucer’s production. So he is called “the father of English poetry”.