Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems

Geoffrey Chaucer didn't just write poetry, he invented the possibility of English as a literary language. In an age when Latin and French dominated serious literature, Chaucer turned the vernacular of London into something beautiful, witty, and enduring. This volume gathers his early masterworks: The Romaunt of the Rose, a dazzling translation of a French allegory about love, desire, and the elaborate games courtships played; and the minor poems that showcase his range, from the dream-vision of The Book of the Duchesse to the soaring avian parliament of The Parlement of Foules. These are poems written in Middle English, so the language carries unfamiliar rhythms and spellings. But beneath that surface strangeness lies wit sharp as a blade, tenderness that still aches, and imagery that feels startlingly fresh. For readers willing to meet Chaucer on his own terms, this volume offers the raw material of English literature itself, the first flowers of a tradition that would bloom through Shakespeare and beyond.