Hood College Chaucerians

MAN, these descriptions are so long, it's hard to get through them without looking for patterns. As a psychology major, the first thing I notice about The General Prologue is that the pilgrims are described from the perspective of only one person: the speaker, and we know the speaker is actually on the pilgrimage with them, experiencing each person from his distinct perspective, rather than from the usual, omniscient cloud. The speaker even emphasizes his bias in lines 37 to 39 when he says, “Me thinketh it accordant to resoun / To telle yow al the condicioun / Of ech of hem, so as it semed me….” Every description to follow entails some mixture of physical and/or personality observations made by the speaker. Opinions seem thematic when we realize the tales to come are told with the goal of being chosen as “the best story” by only one person: the host, and we know that choice is totally opinion-based. I think Chaucer is brilliant for setting up this collection o

When I started the reading for today, I was unsure of how to actually read the text. On my iPad, I pulled up the translation online and propped it up in front of me while I cracked open the physical book in my lap. I tried reading the Middle English out loud, but gave up after several lines. There was no way that I was going to understand what Chaucer meant “that Aprill with his shoures soote / The droghte of March hath perced to the roote…” ( The Canterbury Tales, GP, lines 1-2 ). I knew that I would need to constantly refer to the translation throughout my entire reading, but I did not want to abandon the Middle English all together. So, I tried reading a few lines in the book and then referring to the translation, section by section. This, too, got frustrating and I gave up on page one. Finally, I just decided to go for it, reading through the Middle English, focusing on the words, and figuring out on my own what Chaucer was saying before referring to the translation. Slowly,

What makes certain lines from a text jump off the page and fill you with interest and curiosity? Why do some passages carry more meaning and significance than others? For example, in the Clerk’s Tale, Griselda cautions her callous lord, Walter: O thing biseke I yow, and warne also, That ye ne prike with no tormentinge This tendre maiden, as ye han don mo; For she is fostred in hir norissinge Moore tenderly, and to my supposinge She koude nat adversitee endure As koude a povre fostred creature (“The Clerk’s Tale,” ll. 1037-1043) This direct and uncompromising speech, coming from a character who has patiently suffered throughall of the cruelty that Walter has dished out, is a powerful turning point in the tale. Plus, the rhyme and enjambment here is elegantly crafted. In short: there's a lot to discuss about this passage, isn't there? Book and tablet photo by Engin_Akyurt on Pixabay.com On days that we don't have paragraphs due, we'll have what I call Q

A paragraph is an elusive thing: it seems like something really obvious, something we have known how to write since elementary school. But how do you define a paragraph? How can you tell a good paragraph from a lackluster one? And how do you write the kind of paragraphs that make it easier to communicate your ideas to your reader? Simply put, a paragraph is a group of sentences that develop a single idea. That’s it. The correct length for a paragraph is however many sentences are required to introduce the idea of the paragraph, explain that idea, provide any necessary examples or evidence, explain that evidence, wrap up your idea, and (sometimes) transition into your next idea. However, you have to stick to a single idea! If you can’t write a clear, well-developed paragraph, you can’t write a good paper, a clear memo, a convincing email, or an enticing cover letter. Those who master the paragraph are ready to take on the world! Home Office photo by Free-Photos on Pixabay.com

Welcome to our study of Chaucer's  Canterbury Tales ! It is a rare gift and privilege in our busy world to spend an entire semester contemplating a single text and the world that inspired it. Our work this semester will be challenging, especially for those of you who are reading Middle English for the first time. But it will also be immensely rewarding! We'll spend our time not only working with Chaucer's text, but also the discovering the world in which he wrote it. In addition, we'll learn about the social issues that seem to have weighed on his mind and the stories that must have captured his imagination. I look forward to sharing this pilgrimage with you all! Huntington Library MS EL 26 C9, f. 153v. from the DIgital Scriptorium Database, UC Berkeley