Chaucer for Children: A Golden Key

by Geoffrey Chaucer, Mary Eliza Joy Haweis

This is a copious and judicious selection from Chaucer's Tales, with full notes on the history, manners, customs, and language of the fourteenth century, with marginal glossary and a literal poetical version in modern English in parallel columns with the original poetry. Six of the Canterbury Tales are thus presented, in sections of from 10 to 200 lines, mingled with prose narrative. 'Chaucer for Schools' is issued to meet a widely-expressed want, and is especially adapted for class instruction. It may be profitably studied in connection with the maps and illustrations of 'Chaucer for Children.' 'We hail with pleasure the appearance of Mrs. Haweis's "Chaucer for Schools." Her account of "Chaucer the Tale-teller" is certainly the pleasantest, chattiest, and at the same time one of the soundest descriptions of the old master, his life and works and general surroundings, that have ever been written. The chapter cannot be too highly praised.'-Academy. 'The authoress is in such felicitous harmony with her task, that the young student, who in this way first makes acquaintance with Chaucer, may well through life ever after associate Mrs. Haweis with the rare productions of the father of English poetry.'-School-Board Chronicle. 'Unmistakably presents the best means yet provided of introducing young pupils to the study of our first great poet.'-Scotsman. 'In her "Chaucer for Schools" Mrs. Haweis has prepared a great assistance for boys and girls who have to make the acquaintance of the poet. Even grown people, who like their reading made easy for them, will find the book a pleasant companion.'-Guardian. 'The subject has been dealt with in such a full and comprehensive way, that the book must be commended to everyone whose study of early English poetry has been neglected.'-Daily Chronicle. 'We venture to think that this happy idea will attract to the study of Chaucer not a few children of a larger growth, who have found Chaucer to be very hard reading, even with the help of a glossary and copious notes. Mrs. Haweis's book displays throughout most excellent and patient workmanship, and it cannot fail to induce many to make themselves more fully acquainted with the writings of the father of English literature.'-Echo. 'The book is a mine of poetic beauty and most scholarly explanation, which deserves a place on the shelves of every school library.'-School Newspaper. 'For those who have yet to make the acquaintance of the sweet and quaint singer, there could not well be a better book than this. Mrs. Haweis is, of course, an enthusiast, and her enthusiasm is contagious. Her volume ought to be included in all lists of school books-at least, in schools where boys and girls are supposed to be laying the foundations of a liberal education.'-Literary World. 'Mrs. Haweis has, by her "Chaucer for Schools," rendered invaluable assistance to those who are anxious to promote the study of English literature in our higher and middle-grade schools.... Although this edition of Chaucer has been expressly prepared for school use, it will be of great service to many adult readers.' -School Guardian. CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY, W.

Genres: School, Poetry, Fiction, Medieval, Classics, Childrens

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2010

About the author

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He was the first writer to be buried in what has since come to be called Poets' Corner, in Westminster Abbey. Chaucer also gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer, composing the scientific A Treatise on the Astrolabe for his 10-year-old son, Lewis. He maintained a career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament.
Among Chaucer's many other works are The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women, and Troilus and Criseyde. He is seen as crucial in legitimising the literary use of Middle English when the dominant literary languages in England were still Anglo-Norman French and Latin. Chaucer's contemporary Thomas Hoccleve hailed him as "the firste fyndere of our fair langage" (i.e., the first one capable of finding poetic matter in English). Almost two thousand English words are first attested to in Chaucerian manuscripts. As scholar Bruce Holsinger has argued, charting Chaucer's life and work comes with many challenges related to the "difficult disjunction between the written record of his public and private life and the literary corpus he left behind". His recorded works and his life show many personas that are "ironic, mysterious, elusive [or] cagey" in nature, ever-changing with new discoveries.

Reviews

[Gina Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

AmblesideOnline year 7. I read this aloud with my 7th grade daughter, it was our 2nd foray into middle English and while it’s still difficult it was easier since we had prior experience. Even if you don’t have any previous experience though this is a good introduction to Chaucer because she has notes at the side telling words that you wouldn’t know and she also rewrote some of the poetry and I was very impressed with the skill with which this was accomplished. This also leaves out most (all?) of The morally questionable parts from The Canterbury Tales. Overall the stories were very good!

[Heather Tully · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read Chaucer so I can’t speak to the translation ability to echo the author but I did find this delightful! I loved the glimpse into medieval life in the beginning with how the author sketched out the characters. And I appreciated the old English verse with updated verse, side by side. I found I was reading Chaucer’s prose better as the book went along!

Pre-read for 2023-2024 edu year.

[Denise Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which was written in 1882, 500 years after Chaucer lived. The author gives wonderful explanations of the time and the language and of Chaucer’s place in all of it. The illustrations are a delight. Not just for children.

[Malory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this retelling of The Canterbury Tales. I thought it would be really difficult with portions in Old English, but once you got used to it, it was actually quite fun to read! There were a lot of connections I made such as The Clerks Tale with The Taming of the Shrew and the Pardoners Tale with the Tale of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter. I read this with my 6th grader for school. It would be good for upper elementary and up. And a good intro for adults before reading Chaucer's complete tales.

[chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that I keep having to read medieval lit for school when all I wanna do is read ya and spicy Sarah j Maas books pains me. This is my villain origin story. Still, this was a cool book LOL

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enticing introduction to Chaucer, not just for children! Beautifully republished by Yesterday’s Classics.