Chaucer's Problem of Prose by Stephen Yeager
In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, key structural moments arise when a speaker shifts from rhyming heroic couplets to address the reader in prose, as well as in instances where prose is mentioned but not employed. These interruptions may seem like glosses explaining Chaucer’s intentions, yet they occur during the most contradictory moments of the frame narrative, making his aims particularly elusive. In Chaucer’s Problem of Prose, Stephen M. Yeager argues that the presence of prose in The Canterbury Tales exposes the complexities of poetic form, manuscript technology, and the media ecology of medieval clerical culture. The book asserts that Chaucer’s work is informed by his awareness of the significant role that Old English plays in early English monastic chronicles and cartularies, representing some of the earliest recorded uses of his chosen literary language. The book explores the surprising connections between the most striking depictions of racial otherness in The Canterbury Tales, the sections that engage with English monastic historiography, and the moments where Chaucer disrupts the narrative convention that dictates everyone in fourteenth-century England speaks in rhyming iambic pentameter couplets – either by writing in prose or discussing prose itself. Ultimately, Chaucer’s Problem of Prose examines how these moments reveal Chaucer’s anxieties about historical media and the central role of monastic historiography in documenting early English history.
"In this exploration of Chaucer's prose, Stephen MYeager deftly deals with a wide range of Chaucerian aspects, revealing both depth and admirable perceptiveness. The book presents a learned and sophisticated argument that branches out into historiography and the law, sexual politics, and marginalization. With close readings that are sensitive to shifts in meaning and expertly handled, Yeager showcases the mechanics, craftsmanship, learnedness, and research that underpin this impressive study." -- Sebastian Sobecki, Professor of Later Medieval English Literature, University of Toronto
"This concise but wide-ranging book makes a major contribution to the study of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A scholarly monograph directed towards an audience of academics specializing in medieval English literature, it also appeals to those interested in documentary culture and in the political and social history of premodern England." -- Megan Leitch, Professor of Medieval English Literature and Culture, University of Groningen
"This concise but wide-ranging book makes a major contribution to the study of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A scholarly monograph directed towards an audience of academics specializing in medieval English literature, it also appeals to those interested in documentary culture and in the political and social history of premodern England." -- Megan Leitch, Professor of Medieval English Literature and Culture, University of Groningen
Stephen M. Yeager is a professor of English at Concordia University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781487504069 |
| ISBN 10 | 1487504063 |
| Title | Chaucer's Problem of Prose |
| Author | Stephen Yeager |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | University of Toronto Press |
| Year published | 2025-05-02 |
| Number of pages | 216 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |