Opening with extracts from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and closing with Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar, this concise collection introduces readers to some of the most influential poetry produced between the mid-fourteenth and late sixteenth centuries. Provides a concise selection of the most important late medieval poetry. Ideal for general readers, or for students needing a digest of the poetry of the period. Introduces readers to the lives of the poets, their major works, and the historical context in which they were written.