Each generation finds in Chaucer's works the concerns and themes of its own era. But what of Chaucer's contemporaries? For whom was he writing? How did he and his audience understand their society, and how is that view reflected in his poetry? These are some of the questions that Paul Strohm addresses in this examination of the historical Chaucer. His analysis yields a fuller understanding of Chaucer's world and provides insights into the social implications of literary styles and forms. This text analyzes the effect of Chaucer's poetry on his contemporary readers, examining how he and his audience understood their society and how this is reflected in the works. This book provides a fuller understanding of Chaucer's world and the social implications of literary styles and form.