English Literature of the Middle Ages

English Literature of the Middle Ages PDF

Author: Stephen Coote

Publisher: Penguin Group

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This new guide covers seven hundred years of English literature. Stephen Coote describes the major figures and works of the period - Beowulf, King Alfred, Chaucer, Langland, Henryson, the Gawain-poet and Malory as well as lesser-known poets. Considerable attention is given to Chaucer and the extensive treatment of 'Troilus and Criseyde' demonstrates the range of concerns that can be brought to a medieval text. Chapters are devoted to alliterative poetry, popular romance, ballad and lyric, medieval drama and Middle English prose, set against a background of the European literary tradition and of medieval circumstances and ways of thought. The discussion of the development of the language from Old English to Middle English show how, through the genius of Chaucer, it took 'its plae beside the great literary vernaculars of Europe'. -- Book cover.

The Cambridge History of Early Medieval English Literature

The Cambridge History of Early Medieval English Literature PDF

Author: Clare A. Lees

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2012-11-29

Total Pages: 910

ISBN-13: 131617509X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Informed by multicultural, multidisciplinary perspectives, The Cambridge History of Early Medieval English Literature offers a new exploration of the earliest writing in Britain and Ireland, from the end of the Roman Empire to the mid-twelfth century. Beginning with an account of writing itself, as well as of scripts and manuscript art, subsequent chapters examine the earliest texts from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the tremendous breadth of Anglo-Latin literature. Chapters on English learning and literature in the ninth century and the later formation of English poetry and prose also convey the profound cultural confidence of the period. Providing a discussion of essential texts, including Beowulf and the writings of Bede, this History captures the sheer inventiveness and vitality of early medieval literary culture through topics as diverse as the literature of English law, liturgical and devotional writing, the workings of science and the history of women's writing.

The Lost Literature of Medieval England

The Lost Literature of Medieval England PDF

Author: R. M. Wilson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-08

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0429515707

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Originally published in 1952 The Lost Literature of Medieval England provides an account of lost masterpieces of medieval English literature. The book examines the evidence for their existence and pieces together a fuller understanding of the literary traditions of the period. In more specific detail, the book looks at the concept of Christian epics and religious and didactic literature, as well as the drama and the lyrical poetry of the period.

The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature

The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature PDF

Author: David Wallace

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2002-04-25

Total Pages: 1060

ISBN-13: 9780521890465

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This was the first full-scale history of medieval English literature for nearly a century. Thirty-three distinguished contributors offer a collaborative account of literature composed or transmitted in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland between the Norman conquest and the death of Henry VIII in 1547. The volume has five sections: 'After the Norman Conquest'; 'Writing in the British Isles'; 'Institutional Productions'; 'After the Black Death' and 'Before the Reformation'. It provides information on a vast range of literary texts and the conditions of their production and reception, which will serve both specialists and general readers, and also contains a chronology, full bibliography and a detailed index. This book offers an extensive and vibrant account of the medieval literatures so drastically reconfigured in Tudor England. It will thus prove essential reading for scholars of the Renaissance as well as medievalists, and for historians as well as literary specialists.

The Arthur of the English

The Arthur of the English PDF

Author: W R J Barron

Publisher: University of Wales Press

Published: 2020-11-15

Total Pages: 650

ISBN-13: 1786837412

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This first comprehensive treatment of Arthurian literature in the English language up until the end of the Middle Ages is now available for the first time in paperback. English people think of Arthur as their own – stamped on the landscape in scores of place-names, echoed in the names of princes even today. Yet some would say the English were the historical Arthur’s bitterest enemies and usurpers of his heritage. The process by which Arthurian legends have become an important part of England’s cultural heritage is traced in this book. Previous studies have concentrated on the handful of chivalric romances, which have given the impression that Arthur is a hero of romantic escapism. This study seeks to provide a more comprehensive and insightful look at the English Arthurian legends and how they evolved. It focuses primarily upon the literary aspects of Arthurian legend, but it also makes some important political and social observations.

The English Nobility in the Late Middle Ages

The English Nobility in the Late Middle Ages PDF

Author: Chris Given-Wilson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-11-01

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1134751419

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

First Published in 2004. Four things dominated the life of the mediaeval noble: warfare, politics, land and family. It is with these central themes that this book is concerned. It encompasses the whole of the upper segment of the late medieval society; examines the relation of social status and political influence; describes the noble household and council; examines in detail the territorial and familial policies pursued by great landholders; emphasises the inter-relationship of local and national affairs; is arranged thematically, making it ideal for student use and has implications for the whole medieval period.

A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350 - c.1500

A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350 - c.1500 PDF

Author: Peter Brown

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-10-26

Total Pages: 692

ISBN-13: 1405195525

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350-c.1500 challenges readers to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. A ground-breaking collection of newly-commissioned essays on medieval literature and culture. Encourages students to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. Reflects the erosion of the traditional, rigid boundary between medieval and early modern literature. Stresses the importance of constructing contexts for reading literature. Explores the extent to which medieval literature is in dialogue with other cultural products, including the literature of other countries, manuscripts and religion. Includes close readings of frequently-studied texts, including texts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve. Confronts some of the controversies that exercise students of medieval literature, such as those connected with literary theory, love, and chivalry and war.