Geoffrey Chaucer was an
English poet, writer and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales. He
has been called the 'father of English literature', or alternatively, the
'father of English poetry'. He was the first writer to be buried in what has since
become Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. Chaucer was captured as a prisoner of war and ransomed by the King, held several government positions, including Comptroller of Customs, and helped establish Middle English as a literary language.
