▁bi ography ▁or ▁Ch ans ons ▁de ▁G este , ▁and ▁the ▁ep ic . ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁attempts ▁at ▁the ▁ep ic ▁technique ▁of ▁repet ition , ▁and ▁Gu ern es ▁also ▁eleg antly ▁repe ats ▁the ▁same ▁word ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁times ▁in ▁differ ing ▁sens es . ▁The ▁Ch ans ons ▁de ▁G este ▁genre ▁is ▁represented ▁by ▁hero ics ▁of ▁Be cket ' s ▁death , ▁how ▁he ▁“ def ied ▁the ▁enemy ▁of ▁Christ ▁and ▁per ished ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁the ▁true ▁faith .” ▁The ▁poem ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁vern ac ular ▁and ▁Gu ern es ▁tells ▁us ▁he ▁often ▁read ▁it ▁beside ▁Be cket ' s ▁tomb ▁in ▁the ▁c athedral ▁at ▁Can ter bury . ▁In ▁her ▁introduction ▁to ▁her ▁English ▁translation ▁Jan et ▁Sh ir ley ▁describes ▁the ▁text ▁as ▁the ▁following : ▁ ▁“ It ▁is ▁a ▁l ively ▁em ph atic ▁creation , ▁written ▁for ▁quiet ▁study ▁but ▁to ▁be ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁a ▁listening ▁audience … ▁It ▁was ▁both ▁a ▁serious ▁work ▁and ▁a ▁tour ist ▁att raction .” ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁entertain , ▁and ▁the ▁obvious ▁h agi ographical ▁imper ative ▁of ▁the ▁poem , ▁Gu ern es ▁expressed ▁his ▁concern ▁for ▁truth ▁through ▁accuracy , ▁which ▁is ▁reflected ▁in ▁his ▁journal istic ▁methods ▁of ▁compiling ▁information . ▁ ▁Historical ▁impact ▁▁ ▁Vern ac ular - h agi ography ▁had ▁a ▁specific ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁ep ic ▁genre ; ▁it ▁influenced ▁the ▁very ▁conception ▁of ▁hero ▁by ▁canon izing