With Pete Hegseth’s over-the-top exhibition of macho, I look at the history of literary cuckold jokes, which reveal the anxieties of insecure men.
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Tag Archives: Canterbury Tales
Chaucer’s Life-Affirming Christianity
British Christianity has always had a strong connection with nature. Chaucer taps into this tradition in the opening lines of Canterbury Tales.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Cult of Ēostre, Easter, fertility religions, Geoffrey Chaucer Comments closed
Poets Talking Poetry over a Beer
In this R.S. Thomas poem, two poets engage in the never-ending discussion of whether poetry is more craft or inspiration.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Circus Animals Desertion", "Poetry for Supper", Geoffrey Chaucer, Ion, John Keats, Parliament of Fowls, Plato, R. S. Thomas, Squire's Tale, W. B. Yeats Comments closed
Chaucer’s Miller & the Los Angeles Rams
The LA Rams won the Super Bowl, bringing Chaucer’s Miller to mind.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Tyger, Football, Geoffrey Chaucer, Miller, Super Bowl, William Blake Comments closed
Chaucer Was No Sexist or Anti-Semite
In which I agree with a recent article defending Chaucer against charges of sexism and anti-Semitism.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged anti-Semitism, Geoffrey Chaucer, Prioress' Tale, Sexism, Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale Comments closed
Trump & Chaucer’s Pardoner, Both Corrupt
Trump’s abuse of the pardon system invites comparisons with the behavior of Chaucer’s Pardoner and Summoner.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Geoffrey Chaucer, Pardoner, Summoner, Trump's pardons Comments closed
A Literary History of the Insult “Cuck”
“Cuck” has become a favorite insult amongst alt-right types. In today’s post I trace literary references to cuckolds going back to Chaucer.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged alt-right, As You Like It, Christopher Marlowe, Country Wife, cuckold jokes, cuckolds, cuckservatives, Doctor Faustus, Donald Trump, Geoffrey Chaucer, Miller's Tale, Othello, William Shakespeare, William Wycherley Comments closed
With Brexit, UK Betrayed Spirit of Chaucer
Brexit violates everything that Geoffrey Chaucer, Britain’s quintessential poet, stood for.
The Most Commonly Taught Lit
The Open Syllabus project has come up with a list of the most commonly taught books in college–at least according to syllabi that are available on-line. “The Canterbury Tales” leads the list. Shakespeare, of course, is the most represented author.