Question

Sweet showers of April are mentioned by:

• A. Geoffrey Chaucer
• B. William Shakespeare
• C. Lord Byron
• D. TS Eliot

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer and "The Canterbury Tales"

• The phrase "Sweet showers of April" is famously associated with Geoffrey Chaucer, a prominent English poet and writer of the late Middle Ages.
• This line appears in the General Prologue to his seminal work, "The Canterbury Tales."
• "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English that tells a story of a group of pilgrims traveling from Southwark in London to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at the Canterbury Cathedral in Kent.
• The opening lines of the General Prologue, which describe the arrival of spring and the pilgrimage season, begin with the famous couplet:
  Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
  The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
• This imagery of April showers marking the end of winter and the beginning of renewal is a key element in setting the scene for the pilgrimage and the tales that follow.
• Chaucer is often called the "Father of English Literature" or the "Father of the English Language" for his significant contributions to the development of Middle English as a literary language.
• His works, including "The Canterbury Tales," "Troilus and Criseyde," and "The Book of the Duchess," had a profound impact on subsequent English writers.
• "The Canterbury Tales" was written in the latter half of the 14th century (around 1387-1400) and remains one of the most important works in English literature.
• For competitive exams, remember Chaucer's era (late 14th century) and his most famous work, "The Canterbury Tales," which is known for its vivid character portrayals and narrative structure.