Chaucer's Folly (A Valentine Tale?)

If there's a holiday to poke fun at, this is it.

Oh Geoffrey!
Did you ken what confusions you'd cause?
A few simple lines to commemorate a royal wedding
On the feast day of a Genoan saint.
You and your raunchy humor
And bawdy thoughts
Of birds mating.
What a way to speak of the Royals!
The joining of countries
Reduced to a tumble!

And now, Geoff!
People are mistaking your "customs;"
Crediting them to similar Romans,
Pagan in thoughts and deeds;
Naked in the streets 
Delivering pregnancy rites.
Those Corinthians would be mortified by our cupids:
Babies in Diapers, Indeed!
What a colossal mistake--
Equating the day with the gods.

How could You!
Those poor Worthy* martyrs
Consecrated by the Church.
Their feast day now celebrated 
With sweets, chocolate, and edible underwear.
Your tales have carried
Until commercialism reigns,
And Saints' day resembles a pagan marriage
Dressed in blood-red and pink.
Oh Geoffrey! If you'd only known! 
You'd be laughing.

Author's Note

Chaucer is sometimes credited with the romance of Valentine's Day when he wrote about King Richard II marriage on May 2, a day that commemorates a Bishop Valentines death in Genoa. This day was confused with the Catholic feast day that commemorates the martyr(s) St Valentine on February 14. This day is believed to be set to divert the pagan attention of the Romans who celebrated Lupercalia, a Greco-Roman festival for fertility.
*The Name Valentine comes from the Latin that means Worthy.

Reviews

[Willard Wells]

Some tasty treats I so spy amount these most eloquent words, Thank you tall Texas gal for enlightening us with this Valentine's tale. And I always thought it was just a shooting in a Chicago garage. Go figure.

[JayceeC]

Lol.. I am not so sure about that, although Valentine cards address American from last century, if I remember rightly.

[Taylor]

Well, Jaycee, this started my day. Thank you for that. I love your romp through the holiday against the backdrop of Chaucer's bawdy contributions to English literature. I've not received any edible underwear (yet) but my mental image doesn't place it high on my list. Unless of course, it's chocolate, but then I think of the Hershey kiss that melts in my hand and, as they say, what a mess. I'm a rose girl all the way.

[JayceeC]

The mental image of you and edible underwear made my day... This piece has been up for a while, but I thought I'd feature it for the next few weeks.

[Windora Grey]

It was the title that brought me here tbh. Canterbury Tales played a large part in my initial introduction to books. I picture you with an ironic smile while writing this. Oh what wouldn't I give to hear this being read aloud, all dramatic and bard-like. Surprisingly enough, the extravagant manner did not make me cringe. It only added to the dramatic theme.

[JayceeC]

If you've never taken a look at Parliament of Fowles you should if you like Chaucer. He was a brilliant man and quite arrogant with it to my mind. I really think the first 400 lines or so were to put everyone to sleep so he could poke fun to them at their faces. And after reading The Wife of Bath, can anyone really take him that seriously. I think he had a very well developed sense of humor. maybe one day I'll do this on sound cloud and put it up. I always ready it so it starts slowly ironic and then the speaker gets a bit excited in the second strophe...like a long time retainer or girlfriend or mother with a bit of chastisement. I'm glad you enjoyed it! ~Jan

[Windora Grey]

SOUNDCLOUD. YES, DO SO. And that kind of wayward build-up is exactly what i'm talking about, yeah.

[CD Campbell]

There are quite a number of lines that I am attached to in this piece. The last two lines from the first stanza reduce all things serious into something base and very human. The poem flowed and you were able to communicate an obscure subject without coming off as high brow. Eleven lines in the last stanza? I'm sure it was intentional. Not a big deal, just hate to gush without saying something negative to balance things out.

[JayceeC]

Oh the last strophe with 11..nothing but my rebel soul..and the fact that I think it needed the last line. Chaucer is best read tongue in cheek, so why should the tone or conclusion indicate anything else? Parliament of Fowls is 700 lines of it, but it starts out a bit dry...possibly to put everyone to sleep so he could start poking fun?? a very clever man Chaucer.

[CD Campbell]

Damn.. Should have known that. Please don't make me pull out my old Rhyme and meter manual. Writing reviews can be tougher than writing poetry itself. Thought that this should have been reviewed. Funny what people like. Later Jan.