Looking for a poem about the (fictionalized) writing of The Canterbury Tales Prologue?

Question

A friend of mine used to quote a poem that told the fictionalized story of Chaucer writing the first lines of the Prologue of *The Canterbury Tales*: > "Whan that Aprill with his ... ". When he gets to the word for "showers" he paused and had to choose between the French version of the word and "shoures", which is Anglo-Saxon. He chooses "shoures", and the English language is launched. I've been searching all over for where this delightful poem comes from and I can't find it anywhere. Does it ring any bells with you? Can you end my search?

Answer 1

There is a poem by Ted Hughes called "Chaucer," and it starts with the opening lines of "Canterbury," but it doesn't have the writing process you describe...

http://www.blueridgejournal.com/poems/th2-chaucer.htm

Answer 2

Are you sure it's a poem? There are several dramatizations (in prose) of Chaucer writing The Canterbury Tales. I don't see any in poem form, however. One poet, in the sixties, was "fixated" on Chaucer - it's Jack Spicer. I haven't checked his full works to see if there's a poem like the one you describe.