Why is Geoffrey Chaucer a Big Deal? (English Literature Mini-lecture)

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 7 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 10

  • @pratapanurag757
    @pratapanurag757 4 месяца назад

    Well Enjoyed the video🙌
    I'm not really sure if it is the best time to ask but, I was wondering if I can create better distribution through your videos by making them more subtle and also make highly engaging shorts out of them?

  • @Akinator-hs8pe
    @Akinator-hs8pe 4 месяца назад

    YOU’RE MY IDOL

  • @wilhelm-z4t
    @wilhelm-z4t 4 месяца назад

    Why is Chaucer a big deal? What a rhetorical question! If you actually read Chaucer, you will know the answer to that question. Reading Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" in the original Late Middle English is a real treat. Late Middle English is generally fairly understandable. Yes, read it aloud, too! It helps if you pretend that you're Scottish. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the rhythm, the sense becomes clearer. Modern English versions, like Nevill Coghill's admittedly excellent one, may make it more accessible and immediate, but any "translation" demands a sacrifice - in this case the loss of the poetic essence of the text which is a high price to pay. So, read it aloud in the original with a Coghill by your side, if you have it, to help you through the difficult bits.
    One of my especial favourite parts is the description of the goodly Parson:
    A good man was ther of religioun,
    And was a povre Person of a Toun;
    But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.
    He was also a lerned man, a clerk,
    That Cristes Gospel trewely wolde preche;
    His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
    Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,
    And in adversitee ful pacient;
    And swich he was y-preved ofte sithes.
    Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,
    But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
    Unto his povre parisshens aboute,
    Of his offrýng and eek of his substaunce;
    He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.
    Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,
    But he ne lafte nat, for reyn ne thonder,
    In siknesse nor in meschief to visíte
    The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,
    Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.
    This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,
    That first he wroghte and afterward he taughte.
    Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte;
    And this figure he added eek therto,
    That if gold ruste, what shal iren doo?
    For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
    No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
    And shame it is, if a prest take keep,
    A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
    Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive
    By his clennesse how that his sheep sholde lyve.
    He sette nat his benefice to hyre
    And leet his sheep encombred in the myre,
    And ran to Londoun, unto Seinte Poules,
    To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,
    Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;
    But dwelte at hoom and kepte wel his folde,
    So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;
    He was a shepherde, and noght a mercenarie.
    And though he hooly were and vertuous,
    He was to synful man nat despitous,
    Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,
    But in his techyng díscreet and benygne.
    To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,
    By good ensample, this was his bisynesse.
    But it were any persone obstinat,
    What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,
    Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.
    A bettre preest I trowe that nowher noon ys.
    He waited after no pompe and reverence,
    Ne maked him a spiced conscience;
    But Cristes loore and his apostles twelve
    He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.

    • @IohannesRhetor
      @IohannesRhetor  4 месяца назад

      Was this written by a chatbot?

    • @wilhelm-z4t
      @wilhelm-z4t 4 месяца назад

      @@IohannesRhetor I am an HAL 9000 Computer .... 😉

    • @IohannesRhetor
      @IohannesRhetor  4 месяца назад

      @@wilhelm-z4t I'm going to assume when you say "if you actually read Chaucer" you're using the "general you," as I'm conspicuously both a fan and a professional who teaches and publishes on Chaucer. This video is intented for absolute beginners, which you, comrade, are clearly not!

    • @wilhelm-z4t
      @wilhelm-z4t 4 месяца назад

      @@IohannesRhetor Yes, I was speaking generally.

  • @vicricchezza9991
    @vicricchezza9991 4 месяца назад

    "I find this answer interesting, but..."

  • @guylikesbananas3986
    @guylikesbananas3986 4 месяца назад

    10 da ago