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Toward Canterbury is a collection of recordings and essays that seek to convince the listener/reader of a few simple propositions. Primarily that Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is an absolute delight to the ear, and is so full of so many shades of style and emotion, that it must be heard. Most of that delight comes from its being written in Middle English, and thus it can only be truly felt, heard in its original voice. With the support of well designed digital resources, it becomes approachable, comprehensible, and a delight to the heart, mind, ear and spirit, for a wider class of readers. The strange words and phrases become less daunting when the reader is carried along on the affective flow of the human voice; the competent, engaging, vocal performance; and the close comfort of cogent notes. One could argue further for the efficacy of the human voice as the ground and foundation for learning and enjoyment in literature; and yet, me thinketh it accordant to reason, to move the reader directly into this audio engagement; so he can himself judge just how distant Chaucer's English is. The Summoner's Prologue
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