Chaucer's lyrics: short poems and the Chaucer canon

The 20 short poems conventionally attributed to Chaucer aren't generally given much prominence in editions of his works. But they invite study on a number of grounds, whether as formal experiments, as small samples of interests explored more fully in longer works, or as demonstrations of the difficulties of ascertaining authorship.

In this English Research Seminar, Professor Julia Boffey (Queen Mary, University of London) will explore what the texts and early copies tell us about the circumstances in which Chaucer's lyrics first came into circulation, looking also at who read them, and how they contributed to the formation of a Chaucer canon in the years after 1400.

The lecture will be held in the Lawson Lecture Room, Kennedy Hall.