Chaucer’s literary career began in the 1360s with translations of French and Italian literature. His first major work, The Book of the Duchess, was written in 1369 in memory of Blanche, the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Chaucer continued to write poetry throughout his life, and his best-known work, The Canterbury Tales, was written in the late 14th century. Chaucer died in London in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Early Career : Geoffrey Chaucer Biography and Works ... By choosing to write his most significant works, including the epic poem The Canterbury Tales, in the vernacular, Chaucer single-handedly granted the English language a new level of legitimacy and artistic power. Learn about the life and works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the medieval English poet and Father of English Literature. Explore his biography, his travels, his influence, and his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer is widely regarded as England’s greatest medieval poet and has been called the father of the English language. Despite a great deal of scholarship, the exact details of Chaucer’s life are far from clear.
