Geoffrey chaucer: Chaucer’s literary career began in the 1360s

Chaucer’s literary career began in the 1360s with translations of French and Italian literature. His first major work, The Book of the Duchess, was written in 1369 in memory of Blanche, the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Chaucer continued to write poetry throughout his life, and his best-known work, The Canterbury Tales, was written in the late 14th century. Chaucer died in London in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Early Career : Geoffrey Chaucer Biography and Works ... Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, most likely in the early 1340s (by some accounts, including his monument, he was born in 1343), though the precise date and location remain unknown. The Chaucer family offers an extraordinary example of upward mobility. Geoffrey Chaucer's personal life, particularly his family and married life, is a backdrop to the seminal works he produced during the Middle Ages. Born into a family of wealthy London wine merchants around 1343, Chaucer would grow up under the influence of the city's vibrant, cosmopolitan culture. Geoffrey Chaucer is widely regarded as England’s greatest medieval poet and has been called the father of the English language. Despite a great deal of scholarship, the exact details of Chaucer’s life are far from clear.