English 215 - Chaucer's Literary World

Who and what did Chaucer read? How did Chaucer's literary environment move him to explore love, human will, differences of perspective, and ideas of closure (the efficacy of complaint, poetic endings, and the poet's accomplishments). These topics will be studied in light of the ranging literary influences from the medieval world, especially Chaucer's adaptation of classical poetry, French and Italian vernacular verse, romance, saints' lives, allegory, and beast fables. All readings are in Middle English, concentrating on a selection of Chaucer's short poems and his major works prior to The Canterbury Tales.

Prereq: ENGL-199.