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Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales are timeless in the sense that more than 600 years have passed since their creation and their literary rewards are still being sown. A great author seems to rise above time when they have created a masterpiece; their work does not feel the effects of age. Time continues on and the bulk of the work remains unabashed. Certain aspects fade as the world changes, however, literary value is often enhanced. Chaucer did not write The Canterbury Tales strictly to comment on the Medieval times. The characters that he has infused with so much vitality and depth existed during this time where they occupied certain social roles, but that which makes them human also allows for their eternal existence as individuals. Chaucer’s beautiful, flowing words and his unique character insight were great innovations relatively unattempted before his time and unmatched since. The fact that nothing like The Canterbury Tales has since come out of modern literature does not detract from its brilliance; it simply means modern literature has failed to match Chaucer’s abilities in capturing the true essence of individuality and as a poet. That which has established The Canterbury Tales as the cornerstone of