Near the turn of the fourteenth century the art of composing romantic poetry entertained the inhabitants of northwestern England. Many highly educated men participated in this art and form of entertainment. Most created tales, termed epics, were also very important to the history of the individual author's nation or race. One of the three great epic poets of this period, Geoffrey Chaucer, fashioned a collection of tales that was both unique and everlasting. This collection of short stories, entitled the Canterbury Tales, was unlike any other epic poem of the time period. Instead of following the traditional format for writing an epic poem, which inc