Comparative analysis of Chaucer,Spencer and Shakespeaere

   

 

Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, and William Shakespeare are three iconic poets who made significant contributions to English literature, but they belong to different periods and literary styles. Here's a comparative analysis of these poets:

1. Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400): 

Chaucer is often referred to as the "Father of English Literature" for his role in establishing Middle English as a literary language.

His most famous work is "The Canterbury Tales," a collection of stories told by pilgrims on a journey to Canterbury Cathedral. This work reflects the diversity of medieval society and the use of vernacular language.

Chaucer's writing is characterized by its medieval sensibilities, including courtly love, chivalry, and religious themes.He employed rhyme royal, a seven-line stanza form, in many of his works.

Chaucer is 'father of English poetry' and also known as father of english language and literature. he invented rhyme royal stanza pattern which is seven lined stanza in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme of ababbcc.he wrote his verse with lines that contains ten syllable and often had rhyming pairs of lines called couplets.he influnced by Dante Alighieri,Francesco Petrarch and Givanni Boccaccio.

The writer commonly use the direct and indirect characterization to create character's personality.through this indirect characterization, Chaucer reveals a character's personality through appearance,actions or speech.

2. Edmund Spenser (1552-1599):

Spenser is known for his epic poem "The Faerie Queene," which was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I and celebrates the Tudor dynasty.the first three books published in 1590 and second three books was published in 1596.it is an allegorical work.He introduced the Spenserian stanza, a nine-line verse form with a rhyme scheme of ABABBCBCC, which was used extensively in "The Faerie Queene."

Spenser's poetry often features allegory, symbolism, and elaborate descriptions, contributing to the Elizabethan literary style.His work combines elements of medieval romance with Renaissance humanism and explores themes of virtue, beauty, and the idealized courtly love.Edmund Spenser was called 'the poet's poet 'by Charles lamb. the five main qualities of his poetry are ...

1. a perfect melody 

2. a rare sense of beauty 

3. a splendid imagination 

4. a lofty moral purity and seriousness 

5. a delicate idealism 

3. William Shakespeare (1564-1616):

Shakespeare is arguably the most famous playwright and poet in English literature.he is best known for his plays, Shakespeare also wrote numerous sonnets and other poems.His sonnets are admired for their exploration of love, beauty, time, and mortality. They follow the Shakespearean or English sonnet form, consisting of three quatrains and a final couplet.

Shakespeare's language is known for its versatility, wordplay, and deep psychological insight. His works often grapple with universal themes of human nature and the complexities of the human experience.

William Shakespeare is one of the most famous poet and playwright.we can see in his poetry ,devices used by homer in the lliad and the odyssey.he mixes English with other languages like Irish,Scottish,French or Welsh.he is well known for borrowing words from other languages.he knew how to create a vivid and descriptive language through 'figures of speech'.he use metaphors,similes etc. 

 Shakespeare and Chaucer

       Shakespeare, writing in the late 16th century and into the early 17th and Chaucer writing in the 14th. both Shakespeare and Chaucer had interesting parallels and connections when it came to 'royalty',first Shakespeare and Chaucer wrote for the ascendant kings of their time.

Shakespearean and Spenserian sonnets :

     The difference between the Shakespearean and Spenserian sonnets is in the rhyme pattern.both Shakespeare and Spenser  sonnets are written in iambic pentameter.it includes fourteen lines,those lines divided into four stanza.shakespeare's sonnets had a pattern of abab cdcd efef gg,when spenser's sonnets had a pattern of abab bcbc cdcd ee.

       Spenser's sonnets deal largely with the idea of love.his work ''Amoretti''contains his most famous sonnet,which was dedicated to Elizabeth Boyle, his fiancee at the time

These poets represent different periods and literary styles in English literature. Chaucer is a medieval poet who helped establish Middle English literature, while Spenser is an Elizabethan poet known for his epic and allegorical style. Shakespeare, on the other hand, is a Renaissance poet and playwright who excelled in both drama and poetry, showcasing a profound understanding of human emotions and the human condition. Each poet has left a lasting legacy in English literature and has influenced subsequent generations of writers.