110+ Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes On Medieval, Narrative And Satire

Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet and author from the 14th century. He is often credited with being the father of English literature and is best known for his work The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer's works are still widely read today and are considered to be some of the most important pieces of literature in the English language. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Geoffrey Chaucer on love, medieval, narrative.

Top 10 Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

1. What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing.
2. All good things must come to an end.
3. The devil can only destroy those who are already on their way to damnation.
4. Time and tide wait for no man.
5. The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.
6. That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears.
7. Patience is a conquering virtue.
8. In April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engendering of the flower.
9. If a man really loves a woman, of course he wouldn't marry her for the world if he were not quite sure that he was the best person she could possibly marry.
10. And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.

Geoffrey Chaucer Image Quotes

Time and tide wait for no man. — Geoffrey Chaucer

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer Short Quotes

• Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote.
• And so it is in politics, dear brother, Each for himself alone, there is no other.
• And then the wren gan scippen and to daunce.
• Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting.
• Abstinence is approved of God.
• Every honest miller has a golden thumb.
• Take a cat, nourish it well with milk and tender meat, make it a couch of silk.
• Look up on high, and thank the God of all.
• Strike while the iron is hot.
• With empty hand no man can lure a hawk.

Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes About Love

That of all the floures in the mede, Thanne love I most these floures white and rede, Suche as men callen daysyes in her toune. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Love will not be constrain'd by mastery. When mast'ry comes, the god of love anon Beateth his wings, and, farewell, he is gone. Love is a thing as any spirit free. — Geoffrey Chaucer

A yokel mind loves stories from of old, Being the kind it can repeat and hold. — Geoffrey Chaucer

By nature, men love newfangledness. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Alas, alas, that ever love was sin! I ever followed natural inclination Under the power of my constellation And was unable to deny, in truth, My chamber of Venus to a likely youth. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Men love newfangleness. — Geoffrey Chaucer

In love there is but little rest. — Geoffrey Chaucer

He loved chivalrye Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye. — Geoffrey Chaucer

'My lige lady, generally,' quod he, 'Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As well over hir housbond as hir love.' — Geoffrey Chaucer

If no love is, O God, what fele I so? And if love is, what thing and which is he? If love be good, from whennes cometh my woo? If it be wikke, a wonder thynketh me — Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes About Learning

Patience is a conquering virtue. The learned say that, if it not desert you, It vanquishes what force can never reach; Why answer back at every angry speech? No, learn forbearance or, I'll tell you what, You will be taught it, whether you will or not. — Geoffrey Chaucer

A whetstone is no carving instrument, And yet it maketh sharp the carving tool; And if you see my efforts wrongly spent, Eschew that course and learn out of my school; For thus the wise may profit by the fool, And edge his wit, and grow more keen and wary, For wisdom shines opposed to its contrary. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For out of old fields, as men saith, Cometh all this new corn from year to year; And out of old books, in good faith, Cometh all this new science that men learn. — Geoffrey Chaucer

One cannot scold or complain at every word. Learn to endure patiently, or else, as I live and breathe, you shall learn it whether you want or not. — Geoffrey Chaucer

My house is small, but you are learned men And by your arguments can make a place Twenty foot broad as infinite as space. — Geoffrey Chaucer

And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach — Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer Famous Quotes And Sayings

The life so brief, the art so long in the learning, the attempt so hard, the conquest so sharp, the fearful joy that ever slips away so quickly - by all this I mean love, which so sorely astounds my feeling with its wondrous operation, that when I think upon it I scarce know whether I wake or sleep. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Time and tide wait for no man. — Geoffrey Chaucer

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Who looks at me, beholdeth sorrows all, All pain, all torture, woe and all distress; I have no need on other harms to call, As anguish, languor, cruel bitterness, Discomfort, dread, and madness more and less; Methinks from heaven above the tears must rain In pity for my harsh and cruel pain. — Geoffrey Chaucer

By God, if women had written stories, As clerks had within here oratories, They would have written of men more wickedness Than all the mark of Adam may redress. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For God's love, take things patiently, have sense, Think! We are prisoners and shall always be. Fortune has given us this adversity, Some wicked planetary dispensation, Some Saturn's trick or evil constellation Has given us this, and Heaven, though we had sworn The contrary, so stood when we were born. We must endure it, that's the long and short. — Geoffrey Chaucer

One cannot be avenged for every wrong; according to the occasion, everyone who knows how, must use temperance. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Soun is noght but air ybroken, And every speche that is spoken, Loud or privee, foul or fair, In his substaunce is but air; For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, Right so soun is air ybroke. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Many a true word is spoken in jest — Geoffrey Chaucer

Thus with hir fader for a certeyn space Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience, That neither by hir wordes ne hir face Biforn the folk, ne eek in her absence, Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so Then people long on pilgrimage to go And palmers to be seeking foreign strands To distant shrines renowned in sundry lands. — Geoffrey Chaucer

If gold rusts, what then can iron do? — Geoffrey Chaucer

I am not the rose, but I have lived near the rose. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Filth and old age, I'm sure you will agree, are powerful wardens upon chastity. — Geoffrey Chaucer

He who accepts his poverty unhurt I'd say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For oute of olde feldys, as men sey, Comyth al this newe corn from yer to yere; And out of olde bokis, in good fey, Comyth al this newe science that men lere. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For I have seyn of a ful misty morwe Folowen ful ofte a myrie someris day. — Geoffrey Chaucer

This flour of wifly patience. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Who then may trust the dice, at Fortune's throw? — Geoffrey Chaucer

Drunkenness is the very sepulcher Of man's wit and his discretion. — Geoffrey Chaucer

. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . . — Geoffrey Chaucer

For many a pasty have you robbed of blood, And many a Jack of Dover have you sold That has been heated twice and twice grown cold. From many a pilgrim have you had Christ's curse, For of your parsley they yet fare the worse, Which they have eaten with your stubble goose; For in your shop full many a fly is loose. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Right as an aspen lefe she gan to quake. — Geoffrey Chaucer

The fields have eyes, and the woods have ears. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Purity in body and heart May please some--as for me, I make no boast. For, as you know, no master of a household Has all of his utensils made of gold; Some are wood, and yet they are of use. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Yet do not miss the moral, my good men. For Saint Paul says that all that’s written well Is written down some useful truth to tell. Then take the wheat and let the chaff lie still. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Murder will out, this my conclusion. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Hyt is not al golde that glareth. — Geoffrey Chaucer

If were not foolish young, were foolish old. — Geoffrey Chaucer

The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Certain, when I was born, so long ago, Death drew the tap of life and let it flow; And ever since the tap has done its task, And now there's little but an empty cask. — Geoffrey Chaucer

One shouldn't be too inquisitive in life Either about God's secrets or one's wife. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Nowhere so busy a man as he there was And yet he seemed busier than he was. — Geoffrey Chaucer

He that loveth God will do diligence to please God by his works, and abandon himself, with all his might, well for to do. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And let him seen a mous go by the wal; Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese. — Geoffrey Chaucer

First he wrought, and afterwards he taught. — Geoffrey Chaucer

But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre. — Geoffrey Chaucer

With emptie hands men may no haukes lure. — Geoffrey Chaucer

There's never a new fashion but it's old. — Geoffrey Chaucer

One eare it heard, at the other out it went. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Mercy surpasses justice. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be, That may bothe werke wel and hastily. — Geoffrey Chaucer

This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo, And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro. — Geoffrey Chaucer

And brought of mighty ale a large quart. — Geoffrey Chaucer

But all thing which that shineth as the gold Ne is no gold, as I have herd it told. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Nature, the vicar of the Almighty Lord. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For tyme ylost may nought recovered be. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Felds hath eyen, and wode have eres. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Loke who that is most vertuous alway, Prive and apert, and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, And take him for the gretest gentilman. — Geoffrey Chaucer

I gave my whole heart up, for him to hold. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Trouthe is the hyest thyng that man may kepe. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Men sholde nat knowe of Goddes pryvetee Ye, blessed be alwey, a lewed man That noght but oonly his believe kan! So ferde another clerk with astromye, He walked in the feelds, for to prye Upon the sterres, what ther sholde bifalle, Til he was in a marle-pit yfalle. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Death is the end of every worldly pain. — Geoffrey Chaucer

So was hir jolly whistel wel y-wette. — Geoffrey Chaucer

That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Harde is his heart that loveth nought In May. — Geoffrey Chaucer

He is gentle that doeth gentle deeds. — Geoffrey Chaucer

The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne. Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge, The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne; Al this mene I be love... For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere. — Geoffrey Chaucer

It is nought good a sleping hound to wake. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Thou shalt make castels thanne in Spayne And dreme of joye, all but in vayne. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Habit maketh no monk, ne wearing of gilt spurs maketh no knight. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe; For th'orisonte hath reft the sonne his lyght; This is as muche to seye as it was nyght! — Geoffrey Chaucer

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe. — Geoffrey Chaucer

I hold a mouses wit not worth a leke, That hath but on hole for to sterten to. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For there is one thing I can safely say: that those bound by love must obey each other if they are to keep company long. Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell he is gone. Love is a thing as free as any spirit; women naturally desire liberty, and not to be constrained like slaves; and so do men, if I shall tell the truth. — Geoffrey Chaucer

But Christ's lore and his apostles twelve, He taught and first he followed it himself. — Geoffrey Chaucer

If gold ruste, what shall iren do? — Geoffrey Chaucer

Truth is the highest thing that man may keep. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Of alle the floures in the mede, Than love I most these floures whyte and rede, Swiche as men callen daysies in our toun. . . . . Til that myn herte dye. . . . . That wel by reson men hit calle may The 'dayesye' or elles the 'ye of day,' The emperice and flour of floures alle. I pray to god that faire mot she falle, And alle that loven floures, for hir sake! — Geoffrey Chaucer

In general, women desire to rule over their husbands and lovers, to be the authority above them. — Geoffrey Chaucer

And when a beest is deed, he hath no peyne; But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne. — Geoffrey Chaucer

And as for me, thogh that I can but lyte, On bakes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yeve I feyth and ful credence, And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon, That fro my bokes maketh me to goon, But hit be seldom, on the holyday; Save, certeynly, when that the month of May Is comen, and that I here the foules singe, And that the floures ginnen for to springe, Farwel my book and my devocion. — Geoffrey Chaucer

To maken vertue of necessite. — Geoffrey Chaucer

For tyme y-lost may not recovered be. — Geoffrey Chaucer

I am right sorry for your heavinesse. — Geoffrey Chaucer

To keep demands as much skill as to win. — Geoffrey Chaucer

A love grown old is not the love once new. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Make a virtue of necessity. — Geoffrey Chaucer

At the ches with me she (Fortune) gan to pleye; With her false draughts (pieces) dyvers/She staal on me, and took away my fers. And when I sawgh my fers awaye, Allas! I kouthe no lenger playe. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Or as an ook comth of a litel spir, So thorugh this lettre, which that she hym sente, Encressen gan desir, of which he brente. — Geoffrey Chaucer

Life Lessons by Geoffrey Chaucer

1. Geoffrey Chaucer's work is a great example of how the use of satire and humor can be used to explore the complexities of the human condition.
2. His stories often focus on the power of love, the importance of faith, and the consequences of greed.
3. Through his work, Chaucer teaches us to be mindful of our actions and to strive for a life of virtue and justice.