Chaucer s’ Humanism
Write A Note on Chaucer s’ Humanism
Answer: Chaucer was
the first poet and social reformer in English literature who revealed the truth
about life as he saw it. Chaucer was the first English poet who did not follow
the heroic and alliterative verse. He brought a fresh wind into the mansion of
English Poetry.
Chaucer is the representative poet of England of the fourteenth
century, but be is also one of England's representative poets of all time.
"He is the evening star of the medieval day and the Morning star of the
Renaissance”, Says Mathew Arnold.
He is rightly called the Father of modern English Poetry. Chaucer's
work can be divided into three periods, French, Italian and English. During the
English period he wrote, "The Canterbury Tales" , his greatest poetic
achievement. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories related by the
pilgrims. It still appeals the modern readers.
Chaucer is the first painter and creator of characters in English
Literature. He observed life very minutely during his career as a diplomat, soldier,
controller of customs and courtier. That is why his characters are real and
life like. Realism is the very basis and foundation of his art of characterization.
He has chosen his characters from every walk of life.
The knight with his son, the squire and the Yeoman represents the
War-like elements. The Doctors of Physic, The man of Law, and The Clerk of
Oxford give us the glimpses of the liberal profession. Commerce is represented
by the Merchant and the Shaman. The agricultural classes are represented by a
Ploughman, a Miller, a Reeve, and a Franklin. Chaucer's pilgrims talk of
"their purse, their love affairs or their private feuds.
This is the typical vision of the common people which is
realistically presented by Chaucer. Chaucer also employs the technique of
contrast to deepen the vividness of his characters. He compares two portraits
having different and contrasted features and qualities. For example, the very
first character of the Knight is quiet opposite to his lustful son, The Squire,
in the same way; the oxford Clerk is quite different from The Monk.
Chaucer has breathed the spirit of the Renaissance to a large
extent thought he is born in middle Ages. Therefore he gives individual traits
to his different characters along with certain typical characters.
In his characterization, as in other fields of poetry, we find a
happy blend of the medieval and modern elements. His characters are universal.
All the pilgrims are so vividly drawn that they create a permanent
impression on our memory. The detail of their physical appearance, their social
status and characters are so artistically presented that the whole of man and
women come alive before our eyes.
The different pilgrims in the Canterbury tales represent different
professions. Like Shakespeare Chaucer's characters are three dimensional i.e.
having length breathed and depth. Chaucer's art of characterization is much
like a novelist and dramatist.
Indeed his art of characterization is superb and he made "The
Prologue" a wonderful picture gallery. He was deeply interested in all
aspects of life and wanted to drink the cup of life to its very dregs.
Geoffrey Chaucer lived at a time when first seeds of Renaissance
were germinating in Italy. Humanism was a gift of Renaissance. Chaucer is the
first poet who described human characters in his poetry in a lovely and
delicate manner. Into this reading his knowledge, his heart is full of the milk
of human kindness.
He observes every man and women whether he or she is good or bad
natured. Even he embraces rascals and rogues with cheerfulness, and we find no
sign of displeasure. Throughout" The Prologue" we see that his
mission or slogan is "Love for all, hatred for none.”He does not touch the
stage of exaggeration when he satirizes their weakness or short comings.
The Prologue gives us a vivid picture of the church. Chaucer is
aware of the weaknesses of the churchmen, their love of money, corruption, and
materialism. The Monk, The Friar, The Summoned, The Pardoner , and the Prioress
are the examples of the corrupt clergy.
Evil is also satirized or ridiculed by him. As we see in the
Shipman's portrait.
Chaucer is an eminent humorist .A humorist is a great humanist,
because he loves mankind in spite of its follies and weaknesses. Even while
gently unmakes the roguery of the knaves and fools. He feels grateful to them
as they give him pleasure. Even his satire is in the form of tender shafts of
irony which neither hurt nor destroy, Chaucer may be regarded as the first
great English great Humorist. He has catholicity and tolerance of spirit which
save it from slipping into satire.
In the Canterbury Tales some of the facts are quite trivial in
themselves but become amusing, e. g .the hat of the wife of bath weighing 10 1bs,
the Reeve's thin legs, the Franklin's weakness for sharp sauce etc.
Chaucer's work reflects all forms and shades of humor.
His humor is natural and spontaneous.
Tolerance, indulgence and capacity for enjoying life are thus the main
springs of Chaucer's humor, his skill, in narrative and characterization is
mingled with his surpassing gift of many sided humor.
Now we take very brief glimpses of some portraits.
The knight is an embodiment of the chivalric code of medieval knighthood.
He grips our attention as be stands at the entrance to the gallery.
Chaucer says at the start of his portrait:
"To riden out , he loved chivalrie,
Trouthe and honour , freedom and curteisie"
Chaucer describes the portrait of the young squire who is the son
of the knight .
"Syngynge he was, or floytynge , al the day;
Hw was as fressh as is the monthe of May."
Chaucer seems to us quenching the thirst of love by the means of
humor, mild irony satire and funny remarks. He wants to makes us laugh. He
humorous remarks are expressed through his similes, as in the Clerk's portrait,
As leene was his hors as is a rake,
And he nas not right fat , I undertake"
The same situation we find with the Monk, he says;
"His heed was balled that shoon as any glas,"
Evil is also satirized or ridiculed by him. As we see in
The Shipman's portiart;
"Ful many a draught of wyn hadde he y-drawe
Fro Burdeux- ward , whil that the chapman sleepe"
Here thought Shipmans's activity is a revealing evil because he
knows that sin should be after all, he is human being.
His love of God is unconsciously revealed by him in the portrait of
the Plough man,
"God loved he best , with al his hole herte"
Being a psychologist and lover of the human beings, Chaucer also
observes every inch of the personality of his characters. His keen observation
is present in every portrait.
In the Wife of Bath's portraits , he says:
"She was a worthy woman al hir lyve,
Housbondes at chriche dore she hadde fyve"
In the portrait of the prioress he says:
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous"
Chaucer's
description of the Prioress and the Wife of Bath throws a flood light on the
upper class womanhood of England of the fourteenth century.
In short like Pope and Tennyson, Chaucer also painted the life of
his time in in his poetry. He takes interest in this world and in this life.
His poetry expresses an essentially modern attitude towards life.
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