History of Old English and American Literature
Old English Literature
• 5th Century-1066 (Anglo-Saxon Literature/Old English Literature)
• Middle English Period
• 16th Century (The Renaissance)
• 17th Century
• 18th Century (Restoration)
• 19th Century (Century Drama)
• 20th Century (Modern English Literature)
5th Century-1066 (Anglo-Saxon Literature/Old English Literature)
• Genres (Epic Poetry, hagiography, Bible translations, sermons, riddles)
• Four Manuscripts (Caedmon’s Hymn, Vercelli Book, Exeter Book and Nowell’s Codex)
• Poem (generation to generation through oral tradition read with accompaniment of the harp)
• Caesura – frequent pauses in each verse
• Alliteration – represents meaning more than the literal
• Kennings - metaphor
Kennings
• Battle: the storm of swords
• Blood: fighting gear/battle gear-armor, battle sweat
• Dragon: the twilight spoiler
• Lord/King: the protector of warriors, ring giver, dispenser of treasure
• Queen: The peace bringer among nations
• Sword: the battle lightning
Representative Writer/Works
• The Venerable Bede– A monk– Greatest Anglo Saxon Scholar– Wrote “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”– Father of English History
• Alfred the Great– King of Southern Anglo-Saxon Kingdom– Encouraged scholarly translations from Latin into Old English
• Caedmon– Gift of poetic song– Caedmon’s Hymn (9 line alliterative praise poem for God)
Best Literary Works
• Caedmon’s Hymn
• Beowulf
– The national epic of England
– Most notable example of the earliest English poetry
– Blends Christianity and Paganism
– Beowulf’s 3 fierce fights (Grendell, Grendell’s mother and the Dragon)
Middle English Period
• Romances– rank among the most popular literary forms– Rambling love stories presenting knight fights
and courtly love
• Religion dramas– Became popular– Short plays in religious festivals– (Miracle plays, Mystery plays and Morality
Plays)
Representative Writer/Works
• Pearl Poet– Best remembered on Sir Gawain and the Knight– Wrote the best example of Romance in middle ages
• Geoffrey Chaucer– World’s greatest storyteller– Canterbury Tales
• Sir Thomas Mallory– Le Morte d’ Arthur (Arthurian Legends)
Best Literary Works
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Everyman– Best morality play– Characters (personification of abstraction)
• Everyman
• Death
• Cousins
• Goods
• Good Deeds
• Fellowships
16th Century (The Renaissance)
• Renaissance (Re-birth)
• Literature came into full bloom
• Shakespearean Era/ Elizabethan Era
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