The Lexicon of Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer was a British author born into the emerging middle class of Medieval England. He worked often for the aristocracy, thus his writing could have been biased when introducing characters of a higher social class. In his signature collection, "The Canterbury Tales", there are certain instances of diction that allude to the social status and moral nobility of each individual character.

In the General Prologue, there are three characters that are described at length: a knight, a nun, and an aristocrat. The knight is said to be "a worthy man/ [...who...] loved chivalrye/ trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye," (Greenblatt et al, 2006, p. 219). Likewise, the nun is shown in a positive light when she is presented as a woman whose smile was, "ful simple and coy/ [...] Ful wel she soong the service divine," (Greenblatt et al, 2006, p. 221). However, when Chaucer goes into detail about an aristocrat (well, important churchman), his words are not flattering in the least; "His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas/ [...] He was a lord ful fat and in good point," (Greenblatt et al, 2006, p. 223). From these excerpts, one could assume that characters who served others or did not have much money held a greater regard than that of the aristocracy in parts of "The Canterbury Tales".

Greenblatt, et al. (Eds.). (2006). Teaching with the Norton Anthology of English Literature (8th ed.).New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company

Uses of Imagery in "The Wife of Bath"

While reading "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale", many instances of imagery are apparent. Geoffrey Chaucer uses the narration of the wife of Bath to describe how men marginalize women unfairly. When speaking of her fourth husband, the wife says, "By God on earth, I was his purgatory/ for which I hope his soul lives now in glory,".

Earlier, she told of how he kept a mistress, therefore her allusion to maintaining a purgatory on earth was most likely revenge for his unchaste ways. Later, she goes on to say, 

"There was no one, save God and he, that knew/ How, in so many ways, I'd twist the screw,". In these lines of prose, the wife means that only she, her husband and the Divine Creator knew how she punished him for his adultery. Perhaps she did subtle things to make him sorry for what he had done, but they were humiliating nonetheless.

Lines and imagery like the ones mentioned give insights into the character the wife of Bath. While being married to her fourth husband, she described herself as 'young and full of passion'. Her naivety faded once she discovered her lascivious husband, and she hardened herself to make him suffer for hurting her. Overall, the insights from imagery in the story develop a plot that negates the chauvinistic view of women in society at the time. As a reader, the imagery evokes feelings of humor at the wife's approach to life, marriage and even virginity.

Greenblatt, et al. (Eds.). (2006). Teaching with the Norton Anthology of English Literature (8th ed.).New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company

American Poets in the 19th Century

Early American poets often had a sonorous tone, and at times their poems were even a bit long-winded. In comparison, the form of poems written later by Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Emily Dickinson have a lighter quality to them throughout. In Whitman's poem, "Song of Myself", the reader's spirit is uplifted merely by reading the first line: "I celebrate myself, and sing myself," (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). Along with the happier tones, these poets also had a more lyrical approach to penning their stanzas. 

For example, while reading Longfellow's poem "A Psalm of Life", one can almost imagine pairing the words with a song, "Tell me not, in mournful numbers/ Life is but an empty dream/ For the soul is dead that slumbers/ and things are not what they seem," (McMichaels & Leonards, 2011). Dickinson had similar playful tones in her poems, such as in "There is no Frigate like a Book", "There is no frigate like a book/ to take us lands away/ nor any coursers like a page/ of prancing poetry," (McMichael & Leonard, 2011).

To further explore Dickinson's poetry, the significant images found in her poems would be love, identity, nature, and death, like her poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death". These images might represent her life experiences, or her lack thereof. Perhaps she longed to live a different life, one full of excitement and beauty. Instead, she wrote about wonderful, sad, and beautiful things.

References:

McMichael, G. & Leonard, J. S. (2011). Concise anthology of american literature. (Eds.).

New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.