Chaucer's Poetry Lesson Plan

Consider the first two stanzas of the poem: how is love characterized in the poem? Do you find this description apt?

The idea of love as a difficult "craft" with a "short" lifespan may seem like a thoughtful, compelling description of love to some students. However, as becomes apparent in the second stanza, this conception of love is only based on the books that the speaker of the poem has read. The difference between love as depicted in books and love as experienced in real life is another subject that students will likely find interesting.

What is the significance of "The Dream of Scipio" book that the speaker of the poem is reading at the poem’s beginning?