Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowls

Sarah Powrie (St. Thomas More College)

Ed. by Jamie McKinstry, University of Durham
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1382

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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History and Manuscripts

Since there is little historical evidence for dating Chaucer’s poetry, the chronologies for his literary works are established by tracking the prominence of themes, sources, or language patterns within the poems themselves. The Parliament of Fowls was likely written between 1373 and 1386. The poem shows the influence of Italian sources and so likely emerged following Chaucer’s first visit to Italy in 1373. The year 1386, the probable year for the Prologue to the Legend of Good Women, forms the terminus ad quem, since in the Prologue Chaucer explicitly identifies the Parliament as one of his poems. Based on metrical evidence, scholars argue that the Parliament was composed after the dream visions the Book of the Duchess and the House of Fame, both of which use a

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3523 words

Citation: Powrie, Sarah. "The Parliament of Fowls". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 October 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7344, accessed 21 November 2024.]

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowls

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