A Study of Old English Literature"This book aims at providing a comprehensive survey of Old English literature by one of the best known and most widely experienced Anglo-Saxon scholars of our time. C.L. Wrenn has long been acclaimed internationally for his varied contributions to Anglo-Saxon studies, especially during the seventeen years of his tenure of the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Oxford, and for his masterly edition of Beowulf. He brings to this new book not only mature and lively scholarship, but a rare ability to interest the beginner and general reader as well as the specialist. A Study of Old English Literature embraces all the writing done in England which can properly be called and in any exact sense be termed literature from the time of Caedmon to the Norman Conquest, not excluding the more important Latin works. It covers poetry that is heroic and epic, elegiac, religious, and gnomic, and prose that is didactic, expository, and historical. Some emphasis is placed on the fascinating features of Anglo-Saxon archaeology and on the continuity of Old English thought and culture. Indeed, this book may well prove to be the most outstanding achievement of a remarkable career." -Publisher. |
Contents
GENERAL FEATURES | 1 |
POETRY | 74 |
Learning and Folk Poetry | 161 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
æfter Ælfric Aldhelm Alfredian alliteration ancient Anglo Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Anglo-Saxon poetry ASPR Asser Battle of Maldon Bede Bede's Benedictine Beowulf Bishop C. L. Wrenn Cadmon Cædmon Chapter Christ Christian copied culture Cynewulf Deor diction Eadwacer early edition eighth century elegiac Elene England Exeter Book Finn Genesis Germanic heroic Guthlac half-line historical homiletic homily Hymn Junius Manuscript kind King Alfred King Alfred's language late later Latin lines literary literature London lyric mæg manuscript medieval metre metrical Northumbrian Old English poetry original Oxford passages piece poem poet poetic Preface prose recited religious rhyme Riddles runes runic Saints Saxon Seafarer seems sermons style suggested surviving Sutton Hoo syllable tenth century traditional translation Vercelli Book vernacular verse wæron Wanderer warrior West-Saxon Widsith words writing Wulf Wulf and Eadwacer Wulfstan þæs þæt þam þonne