was her bedroom and her hall,Wherein she'd eaten many a slender meal."
             I must admit that these lines surprise me, as they hardly seem a suitable beginning for a humorous tale to lighten the mood of a company just hearing the Monk's tale of pain and loss. Would a lighter beginning not have served better to connect with the humorous pattern of the tale
             Chaucer: Well, you must not forget the vital importance of connection. The Nun's Priest uses this device in order to gently ease the company out of its depression. A full onslaught of humor right at the beginning of his tale may indeed have shocked rather than revived the brutalized sensibilities of his hearers, so instead he choose to ease them into the tale. This is also my reason for the emaciated horse that is his transport. In order to maintain realism both in my introduction and the narrator's tale, it is necessary to maintain the balance I mentioned earlier.
             In terms of reality, you as a student, know that books of fiction that de
             ...