Poetry and prose - The ballad, Geoffrey Chaucer and the first literary works

Anglosaxon poetry and Beowulf

A strong rhythm and the use of alliteration and repetition characterise anglosaxon poetry.
The most important example of old English literature is the epic poem Beowulf that is dated between 675 BCE and 1000 CE since it also has Scandinavian influences.

It tells of a monster, Grendel, who is killing danish warriors. Beowulf is called to fight the monster and he kills it.
It was written in Old English and it was so rich in terms of images and persistent rhythm that make the epic verses evocative and inventive.

A lot of topics epical themes are depicted in Beowulf: the importance of the homeland and the necessary strength to defend and fight for it; loyalty, bravery and glory (typical of the Classic and Chivalric society) as principles that constitute a moral code to which characters have to submit; the solitary and marginalised hero who faces different forms of wickedness; monsters as the embodiment of the subversion of the yet established cosmic and social order; the voyage across the sea.

The most popular literary works for the non-aristocratic audiences were the romances, narrative works in verse or prose which were born in France. Courtly love was a very important element, but many romances had a moral aim, because they dealt with the codes of a chivalry.

Lyric and ballad poetry

A lyric is a short poem expressing intense personal emotion, was either religious or secular. The ballad was a poem of folk origin which told a story.

Geoffrey Chaucer is England's first great poet; he is considered the father of English language because he wrote all his poetry in the dialect that was spoken in the area of London. His most important work is the Canterbury Tales.

King Alfred traslated the most significant latin works of his time into Old English.

The work which is the first example of english narrative art is the Historia Regum Britanniae, written in latin by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

John Wycliffe started the first translation of the Bible into English.

William Caxton estabilished the first English press (1476).

Geoffrey Chaucer’s biography

Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1343 from a wealthy Londoner family, that enriched itself through wine production and trade.

In 1359, he enlisted the England army during the Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453) as a soldier and a diplomat because he had studied French, Italian, Latin and other languages.

He had a steady relationship with the court because he was a professional courtier who entertained the king and the court with his poetry.
On the other hand, from 1360 until 1387, he was at the service of the crown as a royal missionary in Europe while in 1367 he became Edward III’s man of letters and in 1372 Chaucer went to Italy acting on behalf of the king.

Despite his frenetic diplomatic duties, Chaucer’s literary life was vivid and brillant.
In 1368 he wrote The Book of the Duchess to honour Duchess Blanche’s death.
Two years later, he translated from French the Roman de la Rose.
From 1372 until his life, he dedicated himself to the composition of The House of Fame.
Then, in 1387 he started to write his most famous literary work, The Canterbury Tales inspirated by Boccaccio’s Decameron.