The Parliament of Fowls

The life so short, the craft so long to learn. The opening line of Chaucer's poem is one that every person who lives by a skill understands. The particular craft that concerns the speaker is personified as Love, one that he is told that he has lost the taste for, as a sick man loses the sense of sweet and bitter things. But by the act of devotion in writing about what he is shown, he hopes to enter into Love's service. For the contemporary reader, the text is offered in both the original Middle English and in the modern version of the language, along with a guide to our understanding of how Chaucer would have pronounced his own words. This short work illustrates Chaucer's humor and presents an approachable example of a visio or dream vision and Medieval allegory. It is ideal for students starting out on a journey through the period's literature as well as for anyone wanting to enjoy a tale of squabbling characters yearning to win the affection of a noble lady.