Geoffrey Chaucer

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Data:	10.01.2001
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GEOFFREY CHAUCER

Geoffrey Chaucer’s exact date of birth is uncertain. He was born sometime between 1340 and 1345.
He studied Latin and the classics, could speak French and later he also learnt Italian.
He went to Italy and he probably became acquainted with Dante’s Divina Commedia,
Petrarch’s and Boccaccio’s works.
He decided to write in English which he definitely promoted as the literary language of the British nation in his works. Chaucer introduced metrical innovations which were very important for the development of English poetry.
With his emphasis on human beings, their life and world, Chaucer is probably the first humanist in English literature.
His mayor work is The Canterbury Tales, which is a collection of tales told by the pilgrims going to Canterbury. During the journey each one told a story. There are twenty-four tales in the book.
The pilgrims are portrayed and represent different social classes. Only two classes are excluded: the richest and the poverty.