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The Book of The Duchess Summary

The Book of the Duchess, written by Geoffrey Chaucer around 1368-1372, is an early narrative poem that serves as an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster. The poem features a first-person narrator who dreams of a grieving Black Knight, symbolizing John of Gaunt, and explores themes of love, loss, and the interplay between dream and reality. Influenced by classical mythology, the work showcases Chaucer's developing poetic skills and blends personal emotion with formal expression.

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703 views2 pages

The Book of The Duchess Summary

The Book of the Duchess, written by Geoffrey Chaucer around 1368-1372, is an early narrative poem that serves as an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster. The poem features a first-person narrator who dreams of a grieving Black Knight, symbolizing John of Gaunt, and explores themes of love, loss, and the interplay between dream and reality. Influenced by classical mythology, the work showcases Chaucer's developing poetic skills and blends personal emotion with formal expression.

Uploaded by

hencyheavana4
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Summary of The Book of the Duchess by Geoffrey Chaucer

Author and Period

Written by Geoffrey Chaucer

Composed around 1368-1372

Belongs to the Middle English period

One of Chaucer's earliest narrative poems

Genre and Form

Dream vision allegory

Written in octosyllabic couplets (8-syllable lines)

Form: Narrative poem

Occasion / Purpose

Elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt

Possibly commissioned by John of Gaunt

Narrator and Structure

First-person narrator who falls asleep while reading

Dream vision follows a typical frame narrative structure

The narrator dreams of meeting a Black Knight

Plot Overview

The narrator is suffering from insomnia

Reads the story of Ceyx and Alcyone, a tale of loss and mourning

Falls asleep and dreams of a forest with a royal hunt

Encounters a grieving Black Knight who laments the loss of his lady

The lady he mourns is later revealed to be "White" (Blanche)

Themes

Love and Loss

Grief and Mourning

Dream and Reality

Allegory and Consolation


Summary of The Book of the Duchess by Geoffrey Chaucer

Symbolism

The color white symbolizes purity and is a reference to Blanche

The Black Knight represents John of Gaunt

The dream serves as a metaphor for mourning

Language and Style

Uses courtly love tradition

Incorporates elements of classical mythology

Significance

Early example of Chaucer's dream vision poetry

Shows Chaucer's evolving narrative and poetic skills

Blends personal emotion with formal poetic expression

Notable Influences and Mythology References

Influence of French love poetry

Ceyx and Alcyone - from Ovid's Metamorphoses, representing love, loss, and divine intervention in dreams

Morpheus - the god of dreams, sent by Juno to inform Alcyone of Ceyx's death

Juno - Roman goddess, shows divine compassion by sending Morpheus

Ovid - Roman poet whose tales shaped Chaucer's classical allusions

These references underscore the theme of consolation through dream narratives and divine communication

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