Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Vol. III

Geoffrey Chaucer significantly shaped English literature, celebrated for elevating the English vernacular as a legitimate literary language. His writings resonated with both nobility and the emerging literate merchant class. Notably, his unfinished narrative poem, The Canterbury Tales, established a format that continues to influence writers today. Chaucer's impact persisted into the 16th and 17th centuries, as his major collections set a high standard for presenting authors to the reading public, marking a pivotal moment in literary history.