Metrical analysis

GP 553 And therto brood, as though it were a spade.

GP 553 And /ther// to /brood// as /though// it/were// a /spade//. 10 syllables

GP 554 Upon the cop right of his nose he hade

GP 554 U /pon// the /cop// right /of// his /nose// he /hade// 10 syllables

GP 555 A werte, and theron stood a toft of herys,

GP 555 A /werte// and /ther// on /stood// a /toft// of /herys// 10 syllables

GP 556 Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys;

GP 556 Reed /as// the /brus// tles /of// a /sowes// e /rys// 10 syllables

GP 557 His nosethirles blake were and wyde.

GP 557 His /nose// thir /les// bla /ke// were /and// wy /de//. 10 syllables

GP 558 A swerd and a bokeler bar he by his syde.

GP 558 Aswerd /and/ a /bo/ ke /ler/ bar /he/ by /his/ syde//. 11 syllables

GP 559 His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.

GP 559 His /mouth// as /greet// was /as// a /greet// for /neys//. 10 syllables

GP 560 He was a janglere and a goliardeys,

GP 560 He /was// a /jan// glere /and// a /go// liar /deys//, 10 syllables

GP 561 And that was moost of synne and harlotries.

GP 561 And /that// was /moost// of /synne// and /har// lo /tries//. 10 syllables

GP 562 Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries;

GP 562 Wel /koude// he /ste/ / len /corn// and /to// llen /thries//; 10 syllables

GP 563 And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.

GP 563 And /yet/ / he /hadde// a /thombe// of /gold// par /dee//. 10 syllables

GP 564 A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.

GP 564 A /whit// cote /and// a /blew// hood /we// red /he//. 10 syllables

GP 565 A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,

GP 565 A /bagge/ / pi /pe// wel /koude// he /blowe// and /sowne//, 10 syllables

GP 566 And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

GP 566 And /ther// with /al// he /broghte// us /out// of /towne//. 10 syllables

GP 567 A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple,

GP 567 A /gen/ til /MAUN/ CI /PLE/ was /ther/ of /a/ temple//, 11 syllables

GP 568 Of which achatours myghte take exemple

GP 568 Of /which// a /cha// tours /myghte// ta /ke// e /xemple// 10 syllables

GP 569 For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;

GP 569 For /to// be /wise// in /byyn// ge /of// vi /taille//; 10 syllables

GP 570 For wheither that he payde or took by taille,

GP 570 For /whei// ther /that// he /payde// or /took// by /taille//, 10 syllables

GP 571 Algate he wayted so in his achaat

GP 571 Al /gate// he /way// ted /so// in /his// a /chaat//10 syllables

GP 572 That he was ay biforn and in good staat.

GP 572 That /he// was /ay// bi /forn// and /in// good /staat//. 10 syllables

GP 573 Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace

GP 573 Now /is// nat /that// of /God// a /ful// fair /grac(e)// 10 syllables

GP 574 That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace

GP 574 That /swich// a /lew// ed /man// nes /wit// shal // 9 Syllables

GP 575 The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?

GP 575 The /wis// dom /of// an /heep// of /ler// ned /men?// 10 syllables

GP 576 Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,

GP 576 Of /mais// tres /had// d(e) /he// mo /than// thries /ten//, 10 syllables

GP 577 That weren of lawe expert and curious,

GP 577 That /we// ren /of// law(e) /ex// pert /and// cu /rious//, 10 syllables

GP 578 Of which ther were a duszeyne in that hous

GP 578 Of /whiCh// ther /wer(e) // a /dus// zeyn(e) /in// that /hous// 10 syllables

GP 579 Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond

GP 579 Wor /thy// to /been// sty /ward(e)s // of /rent(e) // and /lond//10 syllables

GP 580 Of any lord that is in Engelond,

GP 580 Of /a// ny /lord// that /is// in /En// g(e) / lond// 10 syllables

GP 581 To make hym lyve by his propre good

GP 581 To/ make// hym/ lyve //by/ his// prop/re// good 9 syllables

GP 582 In honour dettelees (but if he were wood),

GP 582 In /honour// dette/lees// (but/ if// he/wer(e)// wo/od//), 10 syllables

GP 583 Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire;

GP 583 Or /lyve// as/ scars//ly /as //hym/ list// de/sire//; 10 syllables

GP 584 And able for to helpen al a shire

GP 584 And/ able// for/ to// help/en// al/ a// shi/r(e)// 10 syllables

GP 585 In any caas that myghte falle or happe.

GP 585 In/ any// ca/as// that/ myght(e)// fall(e)/ or // hap/p(e)// 10 syllables.

GP 586 And yet this Manciple sette hir aller cappe.

GP 586 And/ yet// this/ Man// ci/pl(e)// sett(e)/ hir// aller/ capp(e) 10 syllables

GP 587 The REVE was a sclendre colerik man.

GP 587 The/ REV(E)// was/ a// s/clen//dr(e)/ cole// rik/ man// 10 syllables.

GP 588 His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan;

GP 588 His/ berd// was/ shav(e)// as/ (a)ny// as/ ever// he /kan//; 10 syllables

GP 589 His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn;

GP 589 His/ heer// was/ by// his/ e//rys/ ful// round/ y//shorn; 11 syllables

GP 590 His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.

GP 590 His/ top// was/ dokk(e)d// ly/k// a/ preest// bi/forn//.10 syllables

GP 591 Ful longe were his legges and ful lene,

GP 591 Ful/ long(e)// were/ his// leg/ges// and/ ful// le/ne//, 10 syllables

GP 592 Ylyk a staf; ther was no calf ysene.

GP 592 Y/lyk// a/ staf//; ther/ was// no /calf// y/sene//. 10 syllables

GP 593 Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne;

GP 593 Wel/ koud(e)// he/ kep(e)// a/ ger//ner/ and/ a /bynn(e)//; 10 syllables

GP 594 Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.

GP 594 Ther/ was// no/oon// audi/tour// koud(e)/ on// him/ wynn(e)//. 10 syllables

GP 595 Wel wiste he by the droghte and by the reyn

GP 595 Wel/ wist(e)// he/ by// the/ droght(e)// and /by// the/ reyn// 10 syllables

GP 596 The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.

GP 596 The/ yel// dyng(e)/ of // his/ seed// and/ of// his /greyn.// 10 syllables

GP 597 His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,

GP 597 His/ lord//es/ sheep//, his/ neet//, his/ day//er/ye//, 10 syllables

GP 598 His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye

GP 598 His/ swyn//, his/ hors//, his / stoor//, and/ his// pult/rye// 10 syllables

GP 599 Was hoolly in this Reves governynge,

GP 599 Was/ hoo//lly/ in// this/ Re//ves/ go//ver/nyng(e)//, 10 syllables

GP 600 And by his covenant yaf the rekenynge,

GP 600 And/ by// his/ cove//nant/ yaf //the/ rek//e/nyng(e)//, 10 syllables

GP 601 Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age.

GP 601 Syn/ that// his/ lord// was/ twen//ty / ye/er// of /age.// 11 syllables

GP 602 Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage

GP 602 Ther/ koud(e)// no/ man// bryng(e)/ hym// in/ ar//re/rage// 10 syllables








Chaucer uses an AABB rhyme and a ten-syllable scheme to set an iambic pentameter rythm. This iambic pentameter is not always regular, and we can find variations about the number of syllables (nine or eleven syllabic patterns are acceptable when using iambic pentameter).
We can find also some parallelisms about syntax if we compare lines throughout the text. The rhyming words are usually in the same position, and it is funny the mood in that we can notice internal rhymes, and even an optional use of the ending “e”. The interesting of this prologue is to create a well-structured story by using such a rhythmic pattern, which gives to the text a sense of troubadouresque tone.



Jose Monfort, Clive Pertegas, J.Manuel Martin