1. The Canterbury Tales By: Geoffrey Chaucer Xan Rogers Tyler Adent-Morris Swakaria Jamison

2. The Medieval Reader  In England, at the time of The Canterbury Tales, the wealthy and educated were the only ones that could read. Literacy was becoming more available to the general public.

3. Ballads  Simple narrative poem written in small stanzas and adapted for singing.  Examples:  Ballad of the Cool Fountain By: Anonymous Spanish Poet  Ballad of the Gillet By: Francois Villon  As You Came From the Holy Land By: Sir Walter Raleigh

4. Fountain, coolest fountain, Cool fountain of love, Where all the sweet birds come For comforting–but one, A widow turtledove, Sadly sorrowing. At once the nightingale, That wicked bird, came by, And spoke these honied words: "My lady, if you will, I shall be your slave." "You are my enemy: Begone, you are not true! Green boughs no longer rest me, Nor any budding grove. Clear springs, where there are such, Turn muddy at my touch. I want no spouse to love Nor any children either. I forego that pleasure And their comfort too. No, leave me; you are false And wicked–vile, untrue! I’ll never be your mistress! I’ll never marry you!" Ballad of the Cool Fountain By: Anonymous Spanish Poet

5. Romances  A novel or narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds.  Example: Romance of the Rose By: Guillaume de Lorris

6. Romance: Edgar Alan Poe  Romance, who loves to nod and sing With drowsy head and folded wing Among the green leaves as they shake Far down within some shadowy lake, To me a painted paroquet Hath been—most familiar bird— Taught me my alphabet to say, To lisp my very earliest word While in the wild wood I did lie, A child—with a most knowing eye.  Of late, eternal condor years So shake the very Heaven on high With tumult as they thunder by, I have no time for idle cares Through gazing on the unquiet sky; And when an hour with calmer wings Its down upon my spirit flings, That little time with lyre and rhyme To while away—forbidden things— My heart would feel to be a crime Unless it trembled with the strings.

7. Allegories  a symbolic narrative  Examples:  The Divine Comedy By: Dante Alighieri  A Christmas Carol By: Charles Dickens

8. Moral Tales  A tale trying to teach you a lesson or moral. Can also be a fairy tale.  Example: Shrek

9. Estate Satire  Usually funny, but meant to ridicule society and offer constructive social criticism.  Example: The Canterbury Tales By: Geoffrey Chaucer

10. Themes Characteristics  Themes are usually some kind of moral lesson to entertain the reader. Usually tells a story Can also inform readers on a certain topic Also rarely used to be an argument

11. Who would read Canterbury tales?  Generally only the wealthy could read. They would be the typical group that would read The Canterbury Tales.

12. Language Change  Many people find it impossible to read Chaucer’s literature. During this time period the English language was evolving in yet another new period.

13. Change in Literacy  Even though more people are becoming educated, still the rich people are the main group that read and study literature.

14. Change in Printing

15. Imagery and Figurative Language  Sparse but vivid imagery and fig. language to describe physical appearance  “He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark/With smudges where his armor had left mark.” (lines 77-78)  “He was embroidered ike a meadow bright/And full of freshest flowers, red and white.” (lines 91-92)  “This Yeoman wore a coat and hood of green,/And peacock-feathered arrows, bright and keen” (105-106)

16. Appearances  Used this imagery as a way to poke fun at the different classes in the feudal system, this is called “Estate Satire”  Feudal system  Serfs/freemen (servants and laborers)  Knights  Barons/Lords  Church/clergy  Monarch

17. Discussion Question  Do you think that the way Chaucer uses imagery is effective in his literature?  Why or why not?