It is, of course, ironic that Chaucer says to the Host that these are the best rhymes that he can do. Each stanza is filled with traditional clichés and absurd speech. In the Tale of Sir Topas, Chaucer makes fun of himself, ridiculing this type of literature and belittling the people who read this type of poetry. And most ironic is that Chaucer assigns this silly tale to himself. Furthermore, when the Host interrupts Chaucer, Chaucer is a bit offended, saying that these are his best rhymes. And then he promises a little thing in prose (The Tale of Melibee) with a few familiar proverbs. Instead of a “little” thing, he gives us a long, dull tale that rambles on forever and is filled with many proverbs; the entire output is as boring and tedious as it possibly can be.
