Final answer:
The most important writer of Middle English is Geoffrey Chaucer, known for 'The Canterbury Tales,' which shaped the English language and literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most important writer of Middle English is widely acknowledged to be Geoffrey Chaucer. He is best known for 'The Canterbury Tales,' a collection of stories written in the late 14th century. Chaucer's use of the English vernacular and his development of characters and tales that capture the essence of English society at the time were pivotal in shaping the modern English language and literature. The Canterbury Tales begin with these lines: 'Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth.'