Scottish Chaucerians and their important works

 Scottish Chaucerians, the name given to a group of 15th‐ and 16th‐century Scottish poets who wrote under the influence of Geoffrey Chaucer (or of his follower John Lydgate), often using his seven‐line rhyme royal stanza. They are as follows:

1. King James I (1394-1436):

(I) He is known for having used the seven-line stanza which was introduced by Chaucer. The stanza then began to be known as ‘rime royal.’

(ii) He wrote satirical poetry in his:
(a) The Ballad of Good Counsel
(b) Christ’s Kirk on the Green

His famous work is  The Kingis Quair

2. Robert Henryson (1425-1500):

(i) He is considered the best among the Scottish Chaucerians, though he is not as popular as Dunbar.

(ii) His lyric poetry has real charm in it

(iii) His works are:

  • (a) Testament of Cressida– a continuation of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde.
    (b) The Moral Fables of Aesop.
  • (c) Orpheus and Euridice
  • (d) Robene and Mayne

3. Gavin Douglas (1474-1522):

* He can be called a precursor of humanism.

(1) He translated Virgil into verse (1512-13)

(iii) His other works are:

(a) Palice of Honour (1501) It is an imitation of Chaucer’s Hous of Fame
(b) King Hart. Both the above poems are observation of nature and rendering of landscape.

(iv) His works show an increasing and faithful allegorical.

4. William Dunbar (1460-1530):

(i) He is perhaps the most famous Scottish poet before Burns.
(ii) His poetry is mostly satirical. He often satirizes the clergy, the women, and the tradesman.
(iii) Among his works, we have :

(a) The Two Married Women and the Window.
(b) The Devil’s Inquest

(c) The Thrissil and the Rois, celebrating the marriage of James IV and Margaret

(iv) Some of his famous allegorical works are :
(a) The Golden Targe