Introduction : Geoffrey Chaucer's life and the inportance of The Canterbury Tales

This is an accessible, 9,000 word introduction to Chaucer, and The Canterbury Tales. The introduction provides biographical details, explores Chaucer's decision to write in English, and the significance of Chaucer's innovations in the English language (such as his adaptation of continental rhyme schemes to provide entirely new English poetic forms). The introduction also explores Chaucer's rationalism, his interest in science and astronomy, and his love of learning. The introduction also explores the particular form of the Canterbury Tales itself, and the problem of the fragmentary state of the text on Chaucer's death. Chaucer's continuing influence on popular culture from literature, to film and internet meme is reflected upon as a concluding discussion.