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