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Referring to Chaucer as "the major literary artist in the English language" aside from Shakespeare, Harold Bloom examines The Canterbury Tales. Also in this edition, Bloom specifically examines "Knight's Tale" and "Wife of Bath's Tale" along with its prologue. Also featured is a comprehensive biography of Geoffrey Chaucer, a user's guide, detailed plot summaries of each novel, extracts from important critical essays, a complete bibliography of Chaucer's works, an index of themes and ideas, and editor's notes and introduction by Harold Bloom. This series, Bloom's Major Poets, is edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School; preeminent literary critic of our time.
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Bloom’s Classic Critical Views G e o f f r ey C hau c e r Bloom’s Classic Critical Views Jane Austen Geoffrey Chaucer Charles Dickens Ralph Waldo Emerson Nathaniel Hawthorne Herman Melville Edgar Allan Poe Walt Whitman Bloom’s Classic Critical Views G e o f f r ey C hau c e r Edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom Sterling Professor of the Humanities Yale University Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: Geoffrey Chaucer Copyright © 2008 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2008 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Geoffrey Chaucer / Harold Bloom, editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7910-9562-1 (hardcover) ISBN-10: 0-7910-9562-2 (hardcover) 1. Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400—Criticism and interpretation—History. I. Bloom, Harold. II. Title: Bloom’s classic critical views : Geoffrey Chaucer. PR1924.G355 2007 821’.1—dc22 2007012599 Bloom’s Literary Criticism books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Bloom’s Literary Criticism on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Series design by Erika K. Arroyo Cover design by Takeshi Takahashi Printed in the United States of America Bang EJB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. Contents QQQ Series Introduction ix Introduction by Harold Bloom xi Biography xv The Fourteenth Century Thomas Usk (1387) John Gower (1390) 3 5 5 The Fifteenth Century John Lydgate (1400) John Lydgate (1410) John Walton “Translator’s Preface” (1410) Thomas Hoccleve (1412) John Shirley “Introduction” (1450) Robert Henryson (1475) William Caxton “Epilogue” (1478) William Caxton “Epilogue” (1483) William Caxton “Prohemye” (1484) 7 9 10 10 11 13 14 15 17 17 The Sixteenth Century William Dunbar (1503) John Skelton “Phillip Sparrowe” (1508) Gavin Douglas “Translator’s Prologue” (1513) Sir Thomas Wyatt (1540) Henry VIII (1542–43) Roger Ascham (1545) Roger Ascham (1552) Roger Ascham (1570) John Foxe “A Protestation to the Whole Church of England” (1570) 21 23 23 27 29 29 30 31 31 31 vi <