Analysis of “When in April”

Looking at the title, the reader is curious to find out what happened in April. Indeed, thinking about April, the intelligent reader may imagine a spring setting.

The general prologue may be organized into three parts; in the first one the narrator introduces the setting, in the second one he tells the beginning of the pilgrimage and in the last one he provides the reader with some information about the pilgrims.

In the first part Geoffrey Chaucer decided to set the departure of the pilgrimage in spring season, in particular in April. The narrator catalogues the natural things and elements illustrating the landscape of Great Britain. The weather is not stable; it might be a rainy day or it might be a nice day. Furthermore, in spring the flowers grow up, Zephyrus blows wind and the birds sing songs as their natural instinctive. The setting is sweet and underlines the beauties of the nature. Such weather-natural conditions are perfect for going on a pilgrimage. The rebirth of the nature is associated with people who bring their belief and ask for grace and mercy in sanctuaries. The narrator tells the pilgrimages and the palmers went especially to Canterbury, to visit the shire of the Saint Thomas Becket who had helped them.  

                                                                                                                                                                                         After the illustration of the setting, the narrator dislocates from the previous place and begins the story introducing his adventure on a pilgrimage. He enters into the tale as a pilgrim and tells the reader how the pilgrimage is begun.                                                                                                                                                                                     He tells that he met twenty nine pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Southwark during a night before the pilgrimage. The pilgrims belonged to different social classes, however they became friends soon. The common faith joins different people together. The narrator tells that “all was of the best” (line 29), indeed the refreshment and lodging were good, he immediately made friends with the pilgrims and they decided to go to Canterbury together.             

                                                                                                                                                                                               In the last part of the general prologue, the narrator interrupts the description of the pilgrimage giving his reasons. He wants to give to the reader some information about the pilgrims. The pilgrims are the principal characters of the tales and they represent different points of view; therefore he wants to present them to better understand the tales. The narrator introduced his intention; he wants to provide information about their appearances, their degrees and professions. Thus, he concludes the prologue telling that he wants to start illustrating the figure of the knight.