A Note on Troilus and Criseyde V. 1786–92

The first envoy of Troilus and Criseyde is an important locus for Chaucer’s view of his great poem and of his own status as a poet. Various scholars have felt it is here that Chaucer makes the highest claim ever for his poetry. Thus this stanza has often been cited; yet it is astonishing how little it has been analyzed. Its elegance has repeatedly been mentioned en passant, but, pursuing broader questions, Chaucerians have largely forgotten to scrutinize how this elegance is effected or how Chaucer actually makes his claim and what may be implied by this.