Literary thumb|Portrait of Chaucer by Romantic era poet and painter William Blake, c. 1800 Widespread knowledge of Chaucer's works is attested by the many poets who imitated or responded to his writing. John Lydgate was one of the earliest poets to write continuations of Chaucer's unfinished Tales. At the same time Robert Henryson's Testament of Cresseid completes the story of Cressida left unfinished in his Troilus and Criseyde. Many of the manuscripts of Chaucer's works contain material from these poets, and later appreciations by the Romantic era poets were shaped by their failure to distinguish the later "additions" from the original Chaucer.
liTerARy tHumb|PORtRaIT Of chaUcer bY Romantic era POET And paIntEr WiLLiam BLakE, c. 1800 WiDespread knOwledge Of chauCEr's worKs is attestEd BY The mANY PoetS Who ImitaTEd or resPonded to hIs wRiTIng. joHN lYDgate WAs oNe of ThE EArlIeST POEts TO write contiNUAtions of chAucEr'S unfinisHEd taLes. At tHe SAme Time robert henryson's testameNT Of cresSeiD ComPletes the story Of crEssidA left UnFiNisheD in his tRoIlus anD criseyde. ManY of the manuScriPts Of cHaucer's wORKs COntaiN matERial froM ThesE poeTs, ANd LaTer ApprecIATIOns by tHe rOmanTIC Era poets were sHAPed by THEIR fAilure to DisTinGuIsh tHe LatEr "aDditiOns" from the origiNAL cHaucEr