Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE COOK'S PROLOGUE, by GEOFFREY CHAUCER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The cook of londoun, whil the reve spak Last Line: And seyde his tale, as ye shul after heere. | ||||||||
The Cook of Londoun, whil the Reve spak, For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the bak. "Ha! ha!" quod he, "for Cristes passion, This millere hadde a sharp conclusion Upon his argument of herbergage! Wel seyde Salomon in his langage, 'Ne bryng nat every man into thyn hous'; For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous. Wel oghte a man avysed for to be Whom that he broghte into his pryvetee. I pray to God, so yeve me sorwe and care, If evere, sitthe I highte Hogge of Ware, Herde I a millere bettre yset a-werk. He hadde a jape of malice in the derk. But God forbede that we stynte heere; And therfore, if ye vouche-sauf to heere A tale of me, that am a povre man, I wol yow telle, as wel as evere I kan, A litel jape that fil in oure citee." Oure Hoost answerde and seide, "I graunte it thee. Now telle on, Roger, looke that it be good; For many a pastee hastow laten blood, And many a Jakke of Dovere hastow soold That hath been twies hoot and twies coold. Of many a pilgrym hastow Cristes curs, For of thy percely yet they fare the wors, That they han eten with thy stubbel goos; For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos. Now telle on, gentil Roger by thy name. But yet I pray thee, be nat wroth for game; A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley." "Thou seist ful sooth," quod Roger, "by my fey! But 'sooth pley, quaad pley,' as the Flemyng seith. And therfore, Herry Bailly, by thy feith, Be thou nat wrooth, er we departen heer, Though that my tale be of an hostileer. But nathelees I wol nat telle it yit; But er we parte, ywis, thou shalt be quit." And therwithal he lough and made cheere, And seyde his tale, as ye shul after heere. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LACK OF STEADFASTNESS; BALLAD by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 1. CAPTIVITY by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 2. REJECTION by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 3. ESCAPE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE GENERAL PROLOGUE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE CHARACTER OF A GOOD PARSON by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE COCK AND THE FOX, OR THE TALE OF THE NUN'S PRIEST by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER TO ROSAMONDE: A BALADE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER A BALADE OF COMPLAINT by GEOFFREY CHAUCER |
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