Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies) [Paperback]

Elaine Treharne (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631204660 | ISBN-13: 978-0631204664 | Publication Date: April 14, 2000 | Edition: 1

This selection of literary texts ranges from the earliest writings in the vernacular up to the time of Chaucer. Spanning almost seven centuries, it encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

The extensive new edition of original texts covers the Old an d Middle English periods from the eighth to the mid-fourteenth centuries. Key texts such as The Wife’s Lament. The Wanderer Sermo Lupi ad Anglos. The Owl and Nightingale and Sir Orfeo are included in full. While substantial extracts are given from numerous others. Such as Beowulf. The Peterborough Chronicle. Ancrene Wisse and Kyng Alisunder. Less frequently studied verse is included (Exodus. Dame Sirip and The Life of Wulfstan. For example). As is a selection of prose (Vercelli Homily X. Apollonius of Tyre. The Old English Life of Saint Margaret. The Trinity Homily of Psalms 119).

The volume is primarily organized by date of manuscript allowing physical context to play a full part in the discussion of texts and to foreground issues of dating, textual transmission, and the concept of authorship and audience. The traditional pedagogic and scholarly divide of pre-Conquest and post-Conquest literature is abandoned to provide an emphasis on the continuities, as well as the transitions, of literary production.

Each text is accompanied by a brief introduction and footnotes. Earlier materials are made fully accessible by accompanying translations, and the later by marginal glosses. The literary, historical, cultural and intellectual background to the period is discussed in a comprehensive introduction to the volume. Other aids to student learning are provided by a language analysis, a chronology, a select bibliography which includes sections on certain authors and leading figures, a glossary of common hard words, and index of manuscripts and a general index.

This volume will provide indispensable to all university courses in Medieval Studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and make an important contribution to the debates on periodicity and canonicity in university curricula.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 622 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (April 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631204660
• ISBN-13: 978-0631204664
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,441,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monumental work, November 24, 2003

By 

Anonymous (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies) (Paperback)

This will surely become THE definitive anthology of Old and Middle English literature. Editor Elaine Treharne includes generous extracts of almost every major work of Old and Middle English.

Her parallel translations are an outstanding feature. As you read, you can improve your understanding of both Old and Middle English. Good whether you're new to this, or returning "rusty" after a lapse.

So many milestones are offered, as to provide a supreme monument to early English Lit. Treharne fulfils her aim, "to provide an extensive selection of literary texts that effectively covers the earliest writings in the vernacular up to the time of Chaucer."

The organisation is unorthodox. Since many medieval texts were passed on orally, and are "not securely dated", Treharne organises them by "extant manuscript date". She departs from usual critical/editorial practice by NOT imposing a date of composition. This method enables the reader to learn about such documents as the four main Old English codices, and, e.g., the Harley MS for medieval English Lyrics.

There's plenty here to inspire or to help with college papers .... The impressive, readable introduction contextualizes the works by surveying national, religious, social and literary history. Other sections deal with manuscript culture, forms of poetry, and language, including a grammatical overview.

A great book for, say, a college readings course, but there's a lifetime's reading here!

5.0 out of 5 stars Very great book, June 10, 2009

By 

B. Vaughan (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies) (Hardcover)

For those who wish to become more familiar with Old and Middle English, I reccomend buying this or the new edition (either one is just fine). Whether you just want to see what older english looked like, and read the translations , or to use it as a study tool for learning Old and/or Middle English I reccomend it for both.

It begins with a thorough introduction that tells of the origins of english, a bit about their culture and times, tells about the forms of poetry used in old times, as well as a brief grammatical overview of Old and middle English that compares it to modern English too. However, this is not a grammar book and the few pages dedicated to it are just to give an idea how it works.

For those who are aspiring students of the Old English language, it helps a lot if you are at least familiar with either German, Dutch, Frisian, or Icelandic as those languages have much in common with modern english and even more with the old varieties of english that were not subject to the greeko-latin influence of today's english.

For the old english portions, I reccomend purchasing the Teach Yourself Old English book and 2 CD set. It is a nice set as well and will help you for studying this book.

[...]

With all of these resources, as well as various ones you find on the internet for free in combination with this book, learning at least some Old English will be a very possible task.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Anthology, February 1, 2009

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M. Brown - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies) (Paperback)

This is the first edition of the book, but the newer edition(s) don't add too much more. The nice thing is that this includes en face translations of each work. The translations are very true to the originals, as Prof. Treharne is trying to provide an example of the text, not just the idea of the text. Each text also includes a brief introduction with just enough history to whet your appetite.