Geoffrey Chaucer was a man with an interesting life to say the least. From imprisonment and royal service to being renowned as one of the greatest poets and writers of the 1300s. Chaucer's life also had many mysteries, such as what intrigued him to write The Canterbury Tales, one of his most famous works. Geoffrey Chaucer's birth year is a bit of a mystery because no one knows for sure what year he was born. What is known is that he was born around 1340-1345. He was believed to be the son of Agnes, grandson of Hamo de Compton, and her father John Chaucer. Records show that around 1357 Chaucer was in the service of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster and wife of Lionel, Duke of Clarence. His record shows that he paid for Chaucer's clothes and expenses in small sums in April, May and December. In 1359 Chaucer went to war in France. While in France, Chaucer was held prisoner in the Reims area. On 1 March 1360, King Edward III contributed £16 to his ransom. Records show that on 10 June 1367 King Edward III paid Chaucer a pension of twenty marks for his past and future services. This means that Chaucer must have been in King Edward's service about a year or two after his capture. Also during this period, Chaucer married his wife, Philippa de Roet, further promoting his career at the English court. In 1370 Chaucer went abroad to carry out diplomatic missions in Florence and Genoa until 1373. While in Genoa he had helped to establish a port. His reward was to be appointed Controller of Customs, a highly coveted position. While abroad he became acquainted with the work of the Italian poets Dante Alighieri and Petrach. Chaucer greatly admired Dante. Sometimes he even quoted and cited Dante. While... middle of paper... all the same. Poets' Corner has gained other poets since Chaucer's time such as Edmund Spenser, Charles Dickens and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Other poets had memorials made in their place even if they rested elsewhere. Shakespeare, buried in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616, finally had a memorial placed in Poets' Corner in 1740. Geoffrey Chaucer was very influential both in royal stature, to some extent, and in his literary works, which today are used in school classrooms. . He led a successful life as he was fortunate to escape captivity when in Reims during the war in France. King Edward III began Chaucer's increased political influence, which may very likely have had a major impact on the popularity of his stories. His writing of The Canterbury Tales keeps it a topic of conversation today. He deserved to be the first person to start Poet's Corner in Westminister Abbey.