--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We admire Chaucer for his sturdy English…" description: "\"We admire Chaucer for his sturdy English wit… But though it is full of good sense and humanity, it is not transcendent poetry.For picturesque descripti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/henry-david-thoreau-20_admire_we-admire-chaucer-for-his-sturdy-english_295770.jpg" --- # We admire Chaucer for his sturdy English wit… But though… ![“We admire Chaucer for his sturdy English wit… But though it is full of good sense and humanity, it is not transcendent poetry.For picturesque description of persons it is, perhaps, without a parallel in English poetry; yet it is essentially humorous, as the loftiest genius never is.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/henry-david-thoreau-20_admire_we-admire-chaucer-for-his-sturdy-english_295770.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/henry-david-thoreau-20_admire_we-admire-chaucer-for-his-sturdy-english_295770.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/henry-david-thoreau-20_admire_we-admire-chaucer-for-his-sturdy-english_295770.jpg) > “We admire Chaucer for his sturdy English wit… But though it is full of good sense and humanity, it is not transcendent poetry.For picturesque description of persons it is, perhaps, without a parallel in English poetry; yet it is essentially humorous, as the loftiest genius never is.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chaucer’s English wit is grounded, humorous, and human, lacking lofty transcendence but excelling in vivid, relatable description. **In simple terms:** Chaucer is witty, human, and humorous, not lofty. Key Takeaway Appreciate grounded humor and humanity in art. Themes literature humor humanity transcendence Mood thoughtful appreciative Type literary critical When to use this quote - teaching literature - creative writing - book clubs - critical analysis Key Concepts poetic style historical context literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What value do you find in humor versus transcendence? - How does grounded wit affect your reading experience? A Different Perspective Even skilled writers may not achieve all artistic ideals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-poetry/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Good sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-sense/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humorous/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Transcendent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendent/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [What a contrast between the stern and desolate poetry of Ossian, and that of Chaucer, and even of Shakespeare and Milton, much more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-contrast-between-the-stern-and-desolate-poetry-of-ossian-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In Homer and Chaucer there is more of the innocence and serenity of youth than in the more modern and moral poets. 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I don't, because I can't accept that there is any continuity between the traditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/some-people-think-that-english-poetry-begins-with-the-anglo-saxons-i/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Honestly, I can't understand English poetry. Because I am not an English speaker, when I read it I never know how to read it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/honestly-i-can-t-understand-english-poetry-because-i-am-not-an/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. 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What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/) [Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. 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