Anelida and Arcite

One of Chaucer's early works about another Arcite than the one in the Knight's Tale who loves a faithful woman named Anelida. Here read by Helen Cooper who recently retired as Head of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at the University of Cambridge.

Parlement of Foules

It is Valentine's Day, the day each year when Nature allows her birds to choose their mates for the year. But which of the princely eagles will win the hand of the princess formel eagle? The more lowly birds grow impatient with the noble eagles' talking.

The Book of the Duchess

Chaucer, as usual, is burning the midnight oil, reading until he grows sleepy. He dreams of a knight dressed in black who has recently lost his beloved. Chaucer's tribute to his friend John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, after the death of his wife Blanche.

The House of Fame

Nick Havely's edition of this slightly unfinished, early sci-fi work by Chaucer, this poem shows Chaucer's sense that he will be among the great poets, worthy to have a pillar with the greats in the heavenly House of Fame, home of our verbal reputation.

The House of Fame

Chaucer worked through all the known genres of his time, more or less, and this is his example of an ironic journey through the heavens in the talons of a talkative eagle, an early sci-fi journey for the frightened, plump poet.

The Legend of Good Women

Chaucer was criticized by some of his audience for being somewhat antifeminist. This early work of the poet is to overcome that criticism, presenting a catalogue of good and faithful women in brief biographies, a sort of medieval DNB.

Troilus and Criseyde

This single MP3 CD contains a Middle English reading of the entire text of Troilus and Criseyde recorded in Burnaby, BC. Make sure you have a CD player (or any DVD player) that can play MP3 CDs. Most new CD players built since 2003 can play this new CD.