Overview

In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, key structural moments arise when a speaker shifts from rhyming heroic couplets to address the reader in prose, as well as in instances where prose is mentioned but not employed. These interruptions may seem like glosses explaining Chaucer's intentions, yet they occur during the most contradictory moments of the frame narrative, making his aims particularly elusive. , Stephen M. Yeager argues that the presence of prose in The Canterbury Tales exposes the complexities of poetic form, manuscript technology, and the media ecology of medieval clerical culture. The book asserts that Chaucer's work is informed by his awareness of the significant role that Old English plays in early English monastic chronicles and cartularies, representing some of the earliest recorded uses of his chosen literary language. examines how these moments reveal Chaucer's anxieties about historical media and the central role of monastic historiography in documenting early English history.

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9781487504069

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Reviews

""In this exploration of Chaucer's prose, Stephen M. Yeager deftly deals with a wide range of Chaucerian aspects, revealing both depth and admirable perceptiveness. The book presents a learned and sophisticated argument that branches out into historiography and the law, sexual politics, and marginalization. With close readings that are sensitive to shifts in meaning and expertly handled, Yeager showcases the mechanics, craftsmanship, learnedness, and research that underpin this impressive study."" -- Sebastian Sobecki, Professor of Later Medieval English Literature, University of Toronto ""This concise but wide-ranging book makes a major contribution to the study of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A scholarly monograph directed towards an audience of academics specializing in medieval English literature, it also appeals to those interested in documentary culture and in the political and social history of premodern England."" -- Megan Leitch, Professor of Medieval English Literature and Culture, University of Groningen

Author Information

Stephen M. Yeager is a professor of English at Concordia University.

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