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Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived — John Shaqi

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They LivedLong, William J. (William Joseph)

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Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

Name: Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived
Author: Long, William J. (William Joseph)

Long, William J. (William Joseph)

American literature -- History and criticism; English literature -- History and criticism

For example, Chaucer had to describe a tournament, in the Knight's Tale;
but instead of using his imagination, as other romancers had always done,
he drew a vivid picture of one of those gorgeous pageants of decaying
chivalry with which London diverted the French king, who had been brought
prisoner to the city after the victory of the Black Prince at Poitiers. So
with his Tabard Inn, which is a real English inn, and with his Pilgrims,
who are real pilgrims; and so with every other scene or character he
described. His specialty was human nature, his strong point observation,
his method essentially modern. And by "modern" we mean that he portrayed
the men and women of his own day so well, with such sympathy and humor and
wisdom, that we recognize and welcome them as friends or neighbors, who are
the same in all ages. From this viewpoint Chaucer is more modern than
Tennyson or Longfellow.

    LIFE. Chaucer's boyhood was spent in London, near Westminster,
    where the brilliant court of Edward was visible to the favored
    ones; and near the Thames, where the world's commerce, then
    beginning to ebb and flow with the tides, might be seen of every
    man. His father was a vintner, or wine merchant, who had enough
    influence at court to obtain for his son a place in the house of
    the Princess Elizabeth. Behold then our future poet beginning his
    knightly training as page to a highborn lady. Presently he
    accompanied the Black Prince to the French wars, was taken prisoner
    and ransomed, and on his return entered the second stage of
    knighthood as esquire or personal attendant to the king. He married
    a maid of honor related to John of Gaunt, the famous Duke of
    Lancaster, and at thirty had passed from the rank of merchant into
    official and aristocratic circles.

    [Sidenote: PERIODS OF WORK]

    The literary work of Chaucer is conveniently, but not accurately,
    arranged in three different periods. While attached to the court,
    one of his duties was to entertain the king and his visitors in
    their leisure. French poems of love and chivalry were then in
    demand, and of these Chaucer had great store; but English had
    recently replaced French even at court, and King Edward and Queen
    Philippa, both patrons of art and letters, encouraged Chaucer to
    write in his native language. So he made translations of favorite
    poems into English, and wrote others in imitation of French models.
    These early works, the least interesting of all, belong to what is
    called the period of French influence.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

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