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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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Book review
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Most of us will have encountered Geoffrey Chaucer's writings (if at all) while studying English Literature for Matriculation or at University. Years ago I found the medieval English with traces of Latin and French very difficult to follow. Today, fortunately there are some very good translations available and Peter Ackroyd, in his book provides modern renderings for his quotes from the original. Ackroyd is well known for his 'historical works, his biographies and his fictional writings with historical base. As this book, the first of a series of short biographies, points out there was much more to Chaucer than his poetry! He was a skilled diplomat and civil servant who was frequently sent on foreign missions of a secret nature. The author says, 'He was not a poet who happened to be a diplomat and government official, he was a government official and a diplomat, who in his spare time happened to write poetry.' PilgrimageIt was a great time for litigation and Chaucer got to know his law both as a magistrate and as an accused. He was married, yet for much of his time lived apart from his wife who was attached to the court of John of Gaunt. Chaucer is best known for his account of a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral known as The Canterbury Tales, but he wrote other works including Troilus and Criseyde and The House of Fame. His Canterbury Tales was an ongoing work which was probably not completed when he died in 1400. He was profoundly influenced by the Italian poets whose works he met on his frequent visits to that country. These would include Petrarch, Dante and Boccaccio. It was an age when plagiarism was accepted and regarded as a tribute to the original author and he frequently copied from others. Chaucer's Tales was a mixture of good story telling, observation, tribute to others and critical appraisal Some of his accounts included bawdy passages, for which he was at pains to apologise. This however, could be construed as a literary device. Chaucer lived in the midst of a confused and disorderly society. As Peter Ackroyd says, 'the papacy was in disarray, the relations between Church and State continually questioned, the government of the country perilously poised between the King and recalcitrant nobles.' He survived the Peasants' Revolt although he lived only metres away from the height of the rebellion. Honesty and faithfulnessI found all these insights into the character and life of Geoffrey Chaucer to be very revealing. It now means that I can join with others in re-reading The Canterbury Tales with better understanding. He was very critical of some aspects of the Church of his day, yet he was able to applaud honesty and faithfulness when he saw it. Even if you have never read any Chaucer, this well-produced and well-illustrated publication is worthy of the effort required to read it. It has to be a must for lovers of English literature and for those involved in the teaching and study of that subject. |
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