The Book of the Duchess
1368
First Published
3.59
Average Rating
42
Number of Pages
The earliest of Chaucer’s major works, this charming and absorbing dream-poem is traditionally read as an allegorical elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, John of Gaunt’s first wife. A sleepless poet lies in his bed, reading the legend of Ceyx and Alcyone, wishing that he might be granted rest. He finally falls asleep, only to have a beautiful vision. Dreaming himself in a chamber with stained glass windows that portray the tale of Troy, the poet hears the sound of a hunting party, which he hurries to join. When the hunt disbands, he follows a small dog into a forest, where he meets a black knight, mourning the loss of his love. The poet cannot understand the exact nature of the knight’s grief until the very end of his dream, when he wakes, book still in hand. Reluctant to forget such a wonderful dream, he determines to put it down in verse.
Avg Rating
3.59
Number of Ratings
609
5 STARS
18%
4 STARS
37%
3 STARS
33%
2 STARS
10%
1 STARS
2%
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Author
Geoffrey Chaucer
Author · 68 books
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400?) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative The Canterbury Tales. Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin.
