Bard of the Middle Ages: The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Bard of the Middle Ages by Michael Drout

Michael Drout is an exceptional professor. He is enthusiastic, interesting and, obviously, well-informed.

In this case, his subject is Geoffrey Chaucer. I had always had a vague view of Chaucer. He was middle-English and wrote the Canterbury Tales, of course, but beyond that, he was, to me, a cipher.

Under Drout's tutelage, Chaucer comes alive as a real person. He was commoner among nobles. He he moved in court circles and had a reputation for integrity. He wrote more than the Canterbury Tales. In fact, a reader can watch him learn the craft of writing as he moves from book to book. Parenthetically, it's amazing that any of this survived.

Drout breaks down the Canterbury Tales in about six lectures covering the various tales. We learn a fair bit about Middle English, English culture and literature. The talk was intriguing enough to make me pick up The Canterbury Tales in dual Middle English and Modern English.

I totally recommend this lecture series.