English poet Geoffrey Chaucer became known as the one of the greatest poet of our time. He was born circa 1340 in London, England and grew up as a middle class citizen. At around his teenage years, Chaucer fought in the Hundred Years’ War in France and became a diplomat for England.On his diplomatic missions in Italy, Chaucer discovered the works of Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch- each of which greatly influenced Chaucer’s own literary endeavor. Although Chaucer was a dedicated man working for the government, his true passion lay in writing poetry. During his time at France in the Hundred Years’ War, Chaucer was deeply exposed to different French traditions. As a result, his most famous writing, The Canterbury Tales, was heavily influenced.