In “Truth,” Chaucer addresses the disgraced nobleman Sir Philip de la Vache, and urges him not to put too much stock in worldly success. He instructs Philip not to worry about the opinions of others, or about gaining wealth and power, stating that these desires will only serve to make him a worse person. Similarly, he urges him not to attempt to change the world or seek justice, but to instead focus on controlling himself. The poem stresses that Philip should not see himself as a citizen of the world, but rather as a refugee whose true home is heaven. He should accept what happens to him in this life and look towards the next.
The last stanza of the poem is an “Envoy,” or a brief concluding stanza that summarizes a poem or dedicates it to a particular person. Here, Chaucer identifies the poem’s principal addressee as Sir Philip de la Vache, and repeats the poem’s principal message: stop being governed by worldly priorities, and instead place your trust in God.
