The Monk

Right from the title, the reader can understand that the text is about a monk and probably about his life.

Right from the start, Chaucer catches the reader's attention using the superlative "finest sort", that makes the reader understand the monk is not an ordinary one. In the second line the verbs "rode" and "hunting" create the image of a monk whose interests are riding and hunting instead of praying. At the end of the second line the position of the subject is inverted to create a rhyming couplet with the previous line. Inversions of subject and direct objects, nouns and adjective, verbs are very frequent in the text. In the third line the adjectives "manly" and "able" make the reader understand the monk is suitable to be and Abbot, this meaning is reinforced by the two alliterations "manly man" and "Abbot able" which however add a shade of irony. This way Chaucer criticizes the corruption of the Church that is represented by this "earthly" monk as the reader can even understand in the fourth line. This one shows his material riches, since owning a horse was the mark of wealth in the Middle Ages and the monk even owns more than a horse and horses of fine quality. The four following lines underline the opposition of two different aspects of the monk's life: his work and his interests. The comparison sounds ironic since the sound of his bridle is compared to the sound of the chapel bell (line 7). Irony is emphasized even in line 8 with the word "lord" referred to the Monk, as this word is usually used to refer to a king, that is an earthly lord. Lines 9 and 10 confirm the monk does not follow the rules of the Church, but he is more "open-minded" and "modern" (lines 11 and 12). Lines from 14 to 17 report some behaviours a monk should not keep and are the same behaviours of the monk, but he doesn't seem to be worried about this (lines 13 and 18). In line 19 the narrator's opinion appears in the text. He initially seems to agree with the monk's opinion but the five following lines make the reader understand the irony of the questions in those lines. Probably the narrator is Geoffrey Chaucer and the whole text is a criticism towards the corruption of the Church.

Then there is again a description of the monk's interests and material riches, but now its irony shades in a straight accusation. His interest is described in line 25 while lines from 26 to 33 shows his riches. Starting from line 34, Chaucer describes the monk's physical appearance. He does not seem an ordinary monk, he is fat (line 36), that the reader can compare to the sin of gluttony, has glittering eyes(line 38), which are an evil mark ("like the flames"), is pleasing in appearance and does not seem to be tormented in his soul (lines 34, 41) while a good monk should always be worried about his life after the death. Line 40 is a straight accusation: "he was a prelate fit for exhibition". The last three lines (40, 41, 42) start with the same word which emphasizes the tone of accusation. The line 43 describes again his earthly interests ("swan"), giving the reader the sensation that the monk's thoughts cannot turn beyond to earthly things.