Rhyming [present throughout the poem] “I saw there a strong beast / was like a dog / and he’d made a feast” (line 65) “Of Chanticleer, locked in every limb / He loved her so that all was well with him” (line 45)
Comparison ~ “I saw there a strange beast, was like a dog” (line 65-67)
Foreshadowing ~ “ I dreamed, that while I wandered up and down /Within our yard, I saw there a strange beast Was like a dog, and he’d have made a feast / Upon my body, and have had me dead” (line 64-67)
Anecdote ~ “ That on a time two comrades went... And hanged they both were by the neck, and soon.” (line 107 - 184)
Onomatopoeia ~ “But he cried ‘Cock-cock-cock’ and did so start” (line 275)
Simile ~ “For truly, you have quite as fine a voice/As angels have that Heaven’s choirs rejoice.” (line 287-288)
Apostrophe ~ “O destiny, you cannot be eschewed!” (line 326)
Allusion ~ “For Saint Paul says that all that’s written well” (line 379)
Allusion ~ "I have well read, in Dan Burnell the Ass Among his verses how there was a cock because a priest's son gave to him a knock Upon the leg, while young and not yet wise, He caused the boy to lose his benefice. " (line 300-304)
Simile ~ "Chanticleer so free sang merrier than mermaid in the sea" (line 267-268)
Personification ~ "I pray you hearken all, behold how fortune turns all suddenly the hope and pride of even her enemy!" (line 342-344)
Alliteration ~ "Beshrew us both, you know but first, beshrew myself, both blood and bones If you beguile me..." (line 366-368)
Simile ~ "He cried "Cock- cock - cock" and did so start as man would a sudden fear at heart" (line 275-276)
Symbolism ~ relation of Chaunticleer and the Nun's Priest (throughout entire poem)
Symbolism ~ relation of Pertelote and the hen-wives with nun's (throughout entire poem)
Function
Although there's unlikely a measure of a rooster's crowing, this description means to build up part of Chaunticleer's character by saying he has such an amazing voice.
This metaphor greatly describe Chaunticleer’s singing, allowing the reader to imagine how he must sound by comparing his voice to that of an organ, which readers know to be a powerful and exciting instrument.
Using a simile to illustrate details in a story is refreshing for the reader because it is more interesting to have the colour of Chaunticleer’s comb described by comparing it to something we can imagine, such as coral, as opposed to simply saying “it was red.
In writing the phrase this way, “love” is presented as having the ability to walk. Being a human quality, this adds a certain romantic vibe to the stanza.
A heart cannot literally jump or be frightened, and so by giving it these human qualities, Chaucer is able to emphasize the feeling of panic and dread.
The rhyming throughout the poem, including these two examples, adds flow and encourages the reader to continue to keep reading. In particular, “couplets” - two lines of verse that are joined by a rhyme - are quite catchy and make the story fun to read.
At first glance, this line appears to be a simile. However after looking into it more closely, it can be understood that the author was really giving the reader an image to compare the beast too, something to go by. This could be a form of imagery.
This stanza is somewhat a form of foreshadowing, as it is Chaunticleer describing his dream to Mistress Pertelote - a dream that later on comes true when the fox attacks the rooster. This technique helps the reader later understand the consequences of Chaunticleer’s decision, emphasizing the story’s moral points.
An anecdote is a short story about an incident or person that the speaker may use to demonstrate an ethical side or point. In this case, Chaunticleer uses an anecdote to try to convince Mistress Pertelote that one should pay attention to their dreams and not let others influence your destiny.
Using an onomatopoeia gives the reader an accurate representation of what the rooster sounds like and is more amusing to read than “he crowed.”
Here, the fox is using a simile to exaggerate the beauty of Chaunticleer’s voice in an effort to flatter and trick the easily deceived rooster.
The use of apostrophe is evident when the narrator addresses destiny as if it were actually capable of responding to the claim that it may not be “eschewed” or avoided - again the idea of predetermination. This makes the line have much more of a dramatic effect.
Here, Chaucer makes a biblical reference to Saint Paul, who the reader may or may not know.
This alludes to a work by the Englishman Nigel Wireker written in the twelfth century. The story is about a priest's son who breaks a rooster's leg and in subtle revenge the rooster refuses to crow at dawn, causing the boy to sleep through his church meeting. This relates to the poem because the fox is comparing Chanticleer's father to the wise and subtle rooster. This gives the reader an idea of how grand Chanticleer's father was, prompting him to let his gard down.
By comparing Chanticleer's voice to that of a mermaid's is an obvious example of a simile. In old tales mermaid's voices has been said to be so beautiful that they draw sailers to them from many miles away. Comparing the voice of a mermaid's to Chanticleer's shows the reader just how lovely his voice is.
Chaucer uses personification when the fox blames fortune for the events that occur as if fortune were a person and therefore "removes" the blame from himself. Fortune itself does not choose other's fate as it isn't a living being. However, giving it human characteristics makes it appear an even more cruel thing that is happening to Chanticleer.
This technique adds flow to the poem by repeating initial sounds. The "b" sounds give a harsh tone to the speaker.
This simile is not as obvious as some of the other examples throughout the poem. The writer states that Chanticleer's voice sounded like that of a scared man, this shows the reader how startled Chanticleer really was.
As a group we all agreed that the main character, Chaunticleer, could be a representation of the Nun’s Priest himself. Being a Nun’s Priest, it is likely his life has been long surrounded and controlled by such women, just as Chaunticleer is encircled by his several hen-wives on the farm. On a side note, the chickens are sometimes referred to as his “sisters,” which is ironically a common name used among nuns. In the poem, Chaunticleer appears subject to Mistress Pertelote’s counsel and listens to her when she ignores his theory about his dreams, ignoring Gods prophecy. This is somewhat a disguise to voice the antifeminism views that were popular opinions at the time these tales were written. The tale itself shows that the priest, like Chaunticleer, lacks individualism and as evident by the title, has the impression of being an item belonging to the nuns.
Similarly, throughout the poem, we found that Pertelote and the other sisters could be interpreted as figures to symbolize the nuns living with the Nun's Priest. This can be supported with the fact that there were many of them and he referred to them as sisters.