Parliament Of Fowls

In this collection of poems, among his very best, Chaucer showcases his lyrical skills to perfection. Verging from tragic to comic, the overriding theme of the poetry is love, in its many guises. Chaucer tells of his passion for reading, which allows him to eavesdrop on a "parliament of birds" on St Valentine's Day; he tells how he, as an inveterate reader, forsakes his books on the first of May to wander into the fields; he complains of being short of money; and he complains to his scribe for copying his verses badly. All in all, in the course of the poetry he reveals a lot about himself, and does so throughout in an engaging and civilized manner.

The "Parlement of Foules" (also known as the "Parliament of Foules," "Parlement of Briddes," "Assembly of Fowls," "Assemble of Foules," or "The Parliament of Birds") is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) made up of approximately 700 lines. The poem is in the form of a dream vision in rhyme royal stanza and is the first reference to the idea that St. Valentine's Day is a special day for lovers. The poem begins with the narrator reading Cicero's Somnium Scipionis in the hope of learning some "certeyn thing." When he falls asleep Scipio Africanus the Elder appears and guides him up through the celestial spheres to a gate promising both a "welle of grace" and a stream that "ledeth to the sorweful were/ Ther as a fissh in prison is al drye" (reminiscent of the famous grimly inscribed gates in Dante's Inferno). After some deliberation at the gate, the narrator enters and passes through Venus's dark temple with its friezes of doomed lovers and out into the bright sunlight. Here Nature is convening a parliament at which the birds will all choose their mates. The three tercel (male) eagles make their case for the hand of a formel (female) eagle until the birds of the lower estates begin to protest and launch into a comic parliamentary debate, which Nature herself finally ends. None of the tercels wins the formel, for at her request Nature allows her to put off her decision for another year (indeed, female birds of prey often become sexually mature at one year of age, males only at two years). Nature, as the ruling figure, in allowing the formel the right to choose not to choose, is acknowledging the importance of free will, which is ultimately the foundation of a key theme in the poem, that of common profit. Nature allows the other birds, however, to pair off. The dream ends with a song welcoming the new spring. The dreamer awakes, still unsatisfied, and returns to his books, hoping still to learn the thing for which he seeks.

In this fresh edition of his tried-and-tested guide, Rob Pope continues to help students get to grips with Chaucer - all the way through from the first tentative encounters with the language to sophisticated critical and historical engagement with Chaucer's narrative art in context. All the commonly studied tales are featured, and each is approached through a series of clear and well-defined steps. In addition to guidance on 'translating' and interpreting Chaucer, there are new sections reviewing key terms and arguments in contemporary critical debates. This is a practical, authoritative and enjoyable handbook that brings the study of Chaucer right up-to-date.

This book is a lucid introduction and intelligent examination of Chaucer's narrative poetry.

Originally published in 1951. Kemp Malone provides a guide to reading Chaucer's work that is intended for readers who are familiar with Chaucer's work but who are not Chaucerians. The first chapter places Chaucer in the historical and literary context of the fourteenth century. The other essays focus on Chaucer's poetry by providing historicized interpretations of Chaucer's work and methods for each poem.

Chaucer's 'Parliament of Fowls' is a story about love, lust, honour, nature . . . and ducks. Simon Webb's highly accessible modern English verse translation conveys the humour and colour of Chaucer's original, and Simon's introduction explains why the poem is now considered to be the work that first introduced the idea of Valentine's Day as we know it. With introduction, glossary and further reading.