Geoffrey Chaucer as the Father of English Poetry
Why is Geoffrey Chaucer called “Father of
English Poetry” –
discussion with appropriate examples?
Geoffrey Chaucer is called the Father of English Poetry. This topic is
very important for English Literature University Exam, BA MA English Notes, and
UGC NET English. Chaucer gave new direction to English poetry through Middle
English poetry, The Canterbury Tales, and the Heroic Couplet.
This article explains Chaucer's literary contributions, poetic style,
and his major examples in simple terms. This post is especially useful for
students looking for English Literature Study Material, Exam-Oriented Answers,
and Academic English Content.
Let’s come to the main point - Why is Geoffrey Chaucer called “Father of English Poetry” –
Geoffrey Chaucer is called the “Father of English Poetry” in English
literature. The main reason for this is that he gave a new identity to English
poetry. Before Chaucer, most literature was written in Latin and French.
Chaucer was the first great poet who made Middle English the language of
literature. Due to this, the English language got respect and literature
reached the common people.
Chaucer's most famous text is The Canterbury Tales. This composition
gave a new direction to English poetry. It contains stories of pilgrims who
come from different social classes, like,-Knight, Miller, Prioress, Wife of
Bath etc. Through these characters Chaucer presented a vivid picture of
medieval society. Before this, such a clear and realistic picture of society
was not found in English poetry.
A major achievement of Chaucer is that he made successful use of the
rhymed couplet (Heroic Couplet). It is a rhyming verse of two lines. Later this
verse became very popular in English poetry. Poets like Dryden and Pope also
carried forward this tradition. In this way Chaucer paved the way for the
coming poets.
Chaucer's language is simple and effective. He did not use difficult and
cumbersome language. His language was close to the speech of the common people.
For example, in The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales he describes the beautiful
season of spring. This description is simple, sweet and picturesque. With this
the reader gets directly connected.
Chaucer is also considered the originator of modern storytelling. The
plot, characters and dialogue in his stories are clearly developed. The
Miller's Tale is full of humour, while The Knight's Tale shows love and
chivalry. This makes it clear that Chaucer brought diversity in both subject
and style.
He presented his characters with human qualities. His characters seem
alive and real. The character of The Wife of Bath is a good example of this.
She expresses her views openly and talks about women's independence. Such bold
depiction was very rare in the medieval period.
Chaucer did not limit English poetry only to religious subjects. He also
included themes such as love, humour, satire, morality, and social criticism.
This made English poetry more extensive and rich.
He also took inspiration from foreign literature. Chaucer was influenced
by writers such as Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch. But he adapted these
influences to the English tradition. In this way he made English poetry of
international standard.
For all these reasons Geoffrey Chaucer is called the “Father of English
Poetry”. He gave literary dignity to the English language. He provided new
style, new subjects and new vision to poetry. Without his contribution the
development of English poetry would not have been possible. Therefore Chaucer's
place is very important and respectable in English literature.
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