Chaucer: His Life, His Works, His World

Abstract

Gower is given a major part in Howard's new biography of Chaucer, but the scattered references touch on a number of details in both the personal and literary relationship between the two poets. Partly because of the lack of any other more suitable candidate, Howard suggests that the older Gower was most likely mentor during twenties (pp. 162-63). earliest ballades in particular may have been written under Gower's influence, and like may have been intended for oral delivery before the merchant Puy (pp. 267-68). Gower was well behind his pupil, however, in yet having begun to write in English (pp. 162- 63, 225). And with HF, Chaucer's way of writing turns away from Gower's, in part because of his encounter with Italian literature and in part because a poet in his thirties will leave behind the mentors of his youth (p. 255). Their acquaintance continued, but by the time of the dedication of TC also p. 438). And though there is no evidence that they quarreled (p. 420), their friendship seems not to have been resumed with intensity after 1388 (p. 497). Howard artfully weaves together the documentary evidence for life with what is known about the historical backdrop, particularly about the events in which Chaucer is known to have been involved, and the attitudes and interests that he infers from works; and the portrait that emerges of life and is rich and detailed. Howard will no doubt be criticized for the lack of evidence for some of his speculations (including some of what he has to say about relationship with Gower) and for the excessively biographical interpretation of some of works: is it necessary to believe, for instance, that the Merchant's views of marriage somehow echo Chaucer's? Much of Howard's view of times, of course, is seen as through eyes; and since Chaucer was close to several members of the royal family, much of the story is concerned with their public and private lives and with the warfare, diplomacy and marriage negotiations in which Chaucer had some part. But Chaucer had little to say about a great many broader social and political movements during his century. It is interesting to speculate how different a backdrop would be drawn, and how different a view of the times would emerge, in a similar biography of Gower. [PN. Copyright The John Gower Society. JGN 7.1]