The book of the duchess work by chaucer britannica. The book of the duchess, one of chaucers earliestpoems has traditionallybeen read as an elegy for blanche, duchess of lancaster, who died inseptember, 69, and as an attempt by chaucer to console john of gaunt, blanches husband. The book of the duchess by geoffrey chaucer essay geoffrey chaucers poem, the book of the duchess, tells of a sleepdeprived man the dreamer who is looking for a cure for his anxiety. Chaucers first major poem, book of the duchess, represents a devoted readers best attempt at creating a meaningful and authoritative text of their own. The poet reads a story about ceyx and alcyone and wanders around in his thoughts. It was his last major poem, published right before his death around. Chaucer seems to be playing a variety of games and expands the vision he had in both the book of the duchess and the house of fame. This lesson explores the poems plot as well as its form and the history behind its fantastical visions. The book of the duchess is the earliest of chaucers major poems, preceded only by his short poem, an abc, and possibly by his translation of the romaunt of the rose. Butterfield sac 16 94 pastoral and the politics of plague in machaut and chaucer p. The poem begins with a sleepless poet who lies in bed reading a book. The book of the duchess, also known as the deth of blaunche, is the earliest of chaucers major poems, preceded only by his short poem, an abc, and. The transformation of chaucers narrator in the book of. The book of the duchess was geoffrey chaucers first long published poem.
In order to pass the time one night, he reads a book about king seys and his wife alcyone. It provides a rigorous and critically balanced assimilation of the book of the duchess, the story of its reception and dissemination, and the major trends in its interpretive history. The book of the duchess from chaucer and his poetry by g l kittredge. Repre sentativeof the conventional interpretationof thepoem are the works of clemen, kittredge, muscatine and. Most recently, margaret connolly has wondered why chaucer chose to use the chess metaphor at all, since it does not seem to work very well within the context of the poem. The book of the duchess and other poems chaucer and. Book of the duchess harvards geoffrey chaucer website. Geoffrey chaucer 421400 the book of the duchess middle.
The book of the duchess is the first major work of the english poet geoffrey chaucer l. Hailey dee mchadlo english 383 washington state university the book of the duchess as a chaucerian consolation. The tomb of the duchess in a masters orals i asked the candidate to discuss chaucers book of the duchess and brownings my last duchess. When, in chaucers career, was the book of the duchess published. In the book of the duchess, the most traditional of the four, the dreamer meets a. The book of the duchess and other poems summary gradesaver. In the third of these, in 69, died queen philippa and her daughterinlaw blanche, the wife of john of gaunt, duke of lancaster. While to me it seems like kind of a given that the medieval folk were quite fixated on dreams and their significance, chaucer takes a really interesting stance here that makes for not one, but two good stories. The majority of the book of the duchess was written in rhyming couplets aa, bb, cc, dd, and so on. The book of the duchess washington state university. Application of the chess metaphor to the context of love. Based on the themes and title of the poem, most sources put the date of composition after 12 september, 68 when blanche of lancaster died and before 72, with many recent studies. Most sources ascribe the date of composition between 69 and 72, though more recent studies suggest that the poem may have been completed as early as late 68.
The book of the duchess, also known as the dreame of chaucer, is the first major long poem published by geoffrey chaucer. The duchess was blanche white, the wife of john of gaunt, duke of lancaster long castle and earl of richmond rich hill, who was chaucer s patron, and a son of edward iii. It was the first long work he published, sometime around 72. The book of the duchess is the earliest of chaucers major poems, preceded only by his short poem an abc and possibly his translation of the romaunt of the rose.
Consolation in the book of the duchess by geoffrey chaucer. This lesson explores the poems plot as well as its form and the. The late roman philosophical text the consolation of philosophy, by ancius manlius severinus boethius, was an extremely wellknown and highly respected book in chaucers time. Behind my question also lay the memory of a dreamlike church in the cotswalds, ewelme, where chaucers granddaughter, the countess of salisbury and the duchess of suffolk, lies buried. The poem was composed sometime in the few years after this event, and it is generally considered to be flattering to both the duke and the duchess. Perhaps chaucer cannot sustain the seriousness without resorting to the comic. The duchess was blanche white, the wife of john of gaunt, duke of lancaster long castle and earl of richmond rich hill, who was chaucers patron, and a son of edward iii.
The whelp has been termed a most pleasing symbol of the sympathy that pervades chaucers dream world. Dive deep into geoffrey chaucers book of the duchess with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. The whelp in chaucers book of the duchess 149 sciously depicting a tender relationship between the animal and the dreamer. The book of the duchess wikisource, the free online library. Describes the textual history of book of the duchess and discusses significant variants among the three manuscripts and thynnes early edition, challenging the authenticity of lines 3196, 288, and 886 derived from. This third level beneath chaucer poet, beneath the reasonable man is implied in the book of the duchess but is incarnate in chaucer pilgrim in the canterbury tales. Integrating humor with sorrow offers a larger conception of the transitoriness of things. According to this general criterion, chaucers the book of the duchess may stake a claim to this genre of literature. Most scolars ascribe the date of composition between 69 and 72. Scolars are uncertain about the date of composition. Details on the black knights transformation of his love white into his chess.
The book of the duchess as a chaucerian consolation essay. The book of the duchessis the first of chaucer s major poems. Although we do not definitively know the cause of his illness, we are led to believe it is because of lovesickness. The book of the duchess, also known as the deth of blaunche, is the earliest of chaucer s major poems, preceded only by his short poem, an abc, and possibly by his translation of the romaunt of the rose. Focusing on the construction and value of the book of the duchess. Most sources put the date of composition after 12 september 68 when blanche of lancaster died and 72, with many recent studies privileging a date as early as the end of 68. How do we figure out the date the book of the duchess was written, and what are some problems with this technique. Other articles where the book of the duchess is discussed. This article provides information on the life and works of geoffrey chaucer, the father of english literature. I was so happy to find the book of the duchess and six other lyrics included in the back of my copy of chaucers the canterbury tales. This volume, the first fulllength collection devoted to the book, argues powerfully against the prevalent view. Making chaucers book of the duchess is the first comprehensive booklength study of chaucers earliest major narrative poem and its reception.
Description of text a modernised translation of chaucers book of the duchess, retaining as much of chaucers diction and rhymes as possible. Chaucer probably wrote the poem to commemorate the death of blanche of lancaster, john of gaunts wife. This book spoke only of such things as the lives of queens and kings, and like matters without fail. Contexts and interpretations chaucer studies jamie c fumo on. The book of the duchess is a poem of the dreamvision genre, presumably composed as an elegy for the death of blanche, duchess of lancaster the wife of geoffrey chaucers patron, the royal duke of lancaster, john of gaunt in 68 or 69. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Chaucers canterbury tales prologue in middle english not complete duration.
Book of the duchess crossreferences included at the bottom of the page8. But so many changes have occurred in pronunciation and stress between chaucers middle english and todays english that we tend to read the lines with more or. It is a narrative poem which illustrates that chaucer was heavily influenced by french poetry in his early compositions. It was considered a must for most schools, and there were very few learned people who had not read boethiuss work and the ample medieval commentary available on the book and its subject. For another argument dating the publication of the poem in 74 see the appendix to john m.
Ellis chaur 29 945 the death of the book of the duchess t. After extensive reading, chaucers first attempt to write a text draws significant inspiration from past texts such as ovids metamorphoses and the medieval french dream vision romance of the rose. Parallel between poets insomnia and knight according to the medieval dream theory and its classification system, the dream experience by the poet in the book of duchess seemingly belongs to that variety wherein the impression and concerns of the previous day are recycled during sleep macrobius 8890. The book of the duchess by geoffrey chaucer, paperback. Hardman jegp 93 94 images of pity in bd, sqt and tc s. The historical setting of chaucers book of the duchess. Four dreadful plagues laid england waste in chaucers lifetime. And in this book were written fables that scholars had in ancient times, and other poets, set in rhymes 55 to read and preserve in mind when men still lived by law of kind. The ostensible occasion of chaucers poem is the death of blanche, duchess of lancaster and wife of the authors benefactor, john of gaunt. Shippey chaur 31 967 chs arithmetical mentality and bd. The book of the duchessis the first of chaucers major poems. Some of the english seems modernized, but a lot of it isnt. It would seem fitting and natural that chaucer commemorate the duchess, as a measure of.
The book of the duchess and other poems by geoffrey chaucer. Geoffrey chaucers poem, the book of the duchess, tells of a sleepdeprived man the dreamer who is looking for a cure for his anxiety. Buy the book of the duchess by chaucer, geoffrey, the perfect library from amazons fiction books store. Part 3 forms of the poem the book of the duchess 1.