“Shal falle a rain, and that so wilde and wood,
That half so greet was nevere Noees flood.
This world,” he saide, “in lasse than an hour
Shal al be dreint, so hidous is the showr.
Thus shal mankind drenche and lese hir lif.” (Chaucer 409-414) Chaucer’s intention of employing various biblical references indicated the significance of religion vs society and his social status in the medieval era. The text above is told through the tone of a drunken character, who the readers should perceive as an entertainer rather than a scholar in this tale. Moreover, the Miller’s story also indirectly portrays his lower-class status and the lack of higher understanding for morality. However, the Miller’s ability to refer to the renowned biblical flood validates the popularity and necessity of religion in this period, despite the difference in social ranking. Based on the text above, the readers must ask how the language can assist their immediate understanding of Noah’s flood reference and the diction/word choice in Chaucer’s tales. …show more content…
Luckily, Chaucer’s implementation of rhymed couplets guided the audience through the obstacle of language in his tales. At the end of line 409, the word “wood” would immediately make us refer to a physical tree instead of an adjective. However, this word further helps the next line rhymes with the word “flood,” which makes the pronunciation of the term “wood” as wudh and not wood. The pronunciation (despite the different spelling) also ties to the Middle English word of furious, which is wode. Therefore, pronunciation in Chaucer’s tale is essential to our understanding of the modern English and German-English in his
That half so greet was nevere Noees flood.
This world,” he saide, “in lasse than an hour
Shal al be dreint, so hidous is the showr.
Thus shal mankind drenche and lese hir lif.” (Chaucer 409-414) Chaucer’s intention of employing various biblical references indicated the significance of religion vs society and his social status in the medieval era. The text above is told through the tone of a drunken character, who the readers should perceive as an entertainer rather than a scholar in this tale. Moreover, the Miller’s story also indirectly portrays his lower-class status and the lack of higher understanding for morality. However, the Miller’s ability to refer to the renowned biblical flood validates the popularity and necessity of religion in this period, despite the difference in social ranking. Based on the text above, the readers must ask how the language can assist their immediate understanding of Noah’s flood reference and the diction/word choice in Chaucer’s tales. …show more content…
Luckily, Chaucer’s implementation of rhymed couplets guided the audience through the obstacle of language in his tales. At the end of line 409, the word “wood” would immediately make us refer to a physical tree instead of an adjective. However, this word further helps the next line rhymes with the word “flood,” which makes the pronunciation of the term “wood” as wudh and not wood. The pronunciation (despite the different spelling) also ties to the Middle English word of furious, which is wode. Therefore, pronunciation in Chaucer’s tale is essential to our understanding of the modern English and German-English in his