The Book of the Duchess

The Book of the Duchess is a surreal poem that was presumably written as an elegy for Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster's (the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer's patron, the royal Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt) death in 1368 or 1369. The poem was written a few years after the event and is widely regarded as flattering to both the Duke and the Duchess. It has 1334 lines and is written in octosyllabic rhyming couplets.

Geoffrey Chaucer, often referred to as the Father of English literature, was a seminal figure in the development of English poetry. Born circa 1343, Chaucer became a prominent courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, but is best known for his contributions to literature. His most notable work, 'The Canterbury Tales,' is celebrated for its vivid storytelling and complex characters. However, his oeuvre also includes a significant yet often underappreciated poem, 'The Book of the Duchess,' which is thought to be his earliest major work, dating from the late 1360s or early 1370s. The poem is an elegy written for Blanche of Lancaster, the first wife of John of Gaunt. In this dream-vision poem, Chaucer employs the motif of courtly love and the metaphor of a hunt to craft a narrative that is both an homage to the deceased and a reflection on themes of loss and consolation. Chaucer's use of the English vernacular was pioneering, signaling a shift from the dominant use of French and Latin in literature, and firmly establishing English as a language of high culture and serious, sophisticated literary endeavor. His literary style, characterized by its humor, astute observations of human behavior, and use of irony, has cemented his legacy as one of the most influential writers in the English canon (Morris, 1895; Spearing, 1970). Chaucer's work predates the formal establishment of a British literary tradition, and as such, his innovations laid the groundwork for future English poets and storytellers.