English Poetry During Chaucer’s Age Essay Example

by Boccaccio’s Decameron, arranged in a similar manner. The stories are told by a group of pilgrims, including Chaucer, who meet at an inn on their way to Canterbury. The inn's cheerful host suggests that each pilgrim share a story to make the journey more enjoyable. The pilgrims agree, and this leads to the creation of the Canterbury Tales. In Chaucer's notable prologue, he provides a vivid depiction of medieval life.

The Canterbury Tales provides the modern reader with the most vivid sense of life and customs in 14th century England through its detailed portraits of the pilgrims. Chaucer's refined illustrations capture the minutiae of their clothing, physical traits, social etiquette, and more. Langland's Piers Plowman is another notable medieval poem that offers insight into the time period. Though little is known about Langland himself, his interest in life's ironies is evident in his allegorical work. Piers Plowman is a dream-vision poem in which the poet falls asleep on a spring morning and envisions a diverse crowd of individuals within a field enclosed by a tower representing truth and a dungeon symbolizing wrong.

In the field, one can encounter a diverse range of individuals - honest, dishonest, generous, mean, and more. A lovely lady represents the holy church and imparts teachings to the dreamer. For example, he asks about Christ's desires and she advises him to love the Lord and do good deeds while being cautious of deceitfulness. The poem then portrays instances of corruption. In addition, the dreamer has another vision involving the seven deadly sins but stays devoted to his quest for truth. As the poem nears its end, he prepares

for an important meeting; however, upon waking up from his sleep, he realizes that the world remains unchanged.

Written by an unknown author, the best Middle English romantic poem is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. On New Year's Day, a massive green figure known as the Green Knight enters the king's hall and presents a challenge to the members of the round table. The challenge involves striking a blow with his colossal axe, but in one year's time, they must find the Green Knight and receive a blow in return. Despite Arthur accepting the challenge, Gawain requests to be the one to partake in this contest.

The Green Knight beheads his opponent, but he retrieves his severed head before leaving. After a year, Gawain visits a lord’s castle in search of the Knight and develops a romantic relationship with the hostess during a subsequent trial. Eventually, Gawain finds the Green Knight who taunts him before lightly striking Gawain's neck. It is then revealed that the Green Knight is the lord of the castle. The purpose of this challenge was to assess Gawain’s integrity as a knight, which he successfully demonstrates. This poem serves as an exploration of bravery and honor for knights.

Wyatt and Surrey, two Italian travelers, brought back to England the inspiration they gained from Italian and classic models, ultimately reshaping English poetry. Considered the first modern poets, their poems were published in Tottel’s Miscellany in 1557. While they are renowned for the tradition they established rather than their own poetry, Wyatt aimed to restore nobility, grace, and harmony to English verse. He introduced the sonnet form, later perfected

by Surrey. Notably, Surrey was the first to utilize blank verse in his translation of Aeneid.