Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is widely considered the father of English literature. This introduction begins with a review of his life and the cultural milieu of fourteenth-century England and then expands into analyses of such major works as The Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Criseyde, and, of course, the Canterbury Tales, examining them alongside a selection of lesser known verses. One of the early hurdles faced by students of Chaucer is achieving ease and fluency with Middle English, but Tison Pugh provides a clear and concise pronunciation guide and a glossary to help novice readers navigate Chaucer's literature in its original language. Additional critical apparatus, including a survey of the writer's sources and brief summaries of major plot lines, make An Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about this crucial figure of English literature.

"An unabashed cheerleader for Chaucer's poetic genius from the first sentence through the last, Pugh shares his enthusiasm with wit and verve."--TMedieval Review, "This introductory overview of . . . Chaucer's life, culture, works, and language offers novice readers of Chaucer a means of familiarizing themselves with these key areas before undertaking study of the texts themselves."--Choice

Tison Pugh, professor of English at the University of Central Florida, USA, is the author of several books, including Queering Medieval Genres and Queer Chivalry: Medievalism and the Myth of White Masculinity in Southern Literature.