The old and Middle English Period PDF

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The old and Middle English Period...

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THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD: from the 5th to the 12th century but some historians claim that it finished in the 11th due to the Norman. The language was basically Germanic and there were 4 fundamental languages but only one became predominant and it was Wessex which it was the dialect used in the land of Wessex. It had a more complex grammar than the ordinary English, very suitable for poetry. The literature in the old English period in general came after the poetry. The poetry was basically epic as in Greece or Italy. It was pagan in origin but it had also Christian influence. Most of these poems were anonymous but some of them had also an author, two of the more prominent authors were: Caedmon and Cynewulf. 

Caedmon was a monk so his works have a religious motif. He wrote a poem called Hymn which was the only composition completely attributed to him.

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Cynewulf had a few poems. His works (Juliana, Elena, Christ and The fates of the apostles) are called the Cynewulf poems. Also many more poems are related to him. His poems were very powerfully descriptive and the technique very complex.

The other great part of the old English period poems are anonymous. Some very famous anonymous poems are Beowulf, Widsith and The battle of Maldon… all of them are epic anonymous poems which deal with the deeds and feelings of a particular hero or warrior. BEOWULF It is a very long poem which contains more than 3000 lines. The manuscript was found in the 18th century but supposedly the poem was from the X Century. It is written in Wessex language and probably it existed in the oral form of an ancient tale before written. It is full of digressions (reflexions in the middle of the story). One of the stylistic traits is repetition of the same idea with different words, Beowulf was a brave and fair warrior and the monster was very scary and heartless. Each line is very rhythmical so it was made to be read orally. Story: Beowulf was the king of Geatas but first he was a warrior. He travelled to Denmark to rescue Grendel who was a horrific and terrible sea monster, but first he had to find Grendel’s mother to save her too. After defeating the monster and saving the king he arrives to his kingdom with all the Glory. He is named king. He also has to kill a dragon. Style: The language is powerful. Is one of the best pieces of English literature. Repetition is really important. Beowulf was fair, valiant, great to convince. Very rhythmical poem. THE ELEGIES: Are poems which praise the death of a person. There are expressions of grief for the lost of somebody; they are meditative so the writer was obviously a very meditative person about life and death. They can also be called monologues. The finest pieces are “The Wanderer” and “The seafarer”, they really reached personal feelings and related with lyrical poetry because of the meditative monologue. They came after the old British poems after translations of Latin poems.

Christianity had a very powerful influence. There are so many Christian elements. Alfred the Great was very influential. Wulfstan and Aelfric: Wulfstan wrote “lifes of the santes” and his homilies were really well written, he also made translations from the Bible. Aelfric was also a member of the church and wrote the Anglosaxon Chronicle. THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD: Middle English Period started about 12th Century but other claims that it started on the 11th. This is a period that mark the middle age in terms related with historical and social elements such as the Norman Conquest. The Normans had their own language and culture. Latin influence was important in England. In those times there was a transition from the old English period related with the linguistics, is not until this time when English is closer to the kind of English of our times. From a literary point of view the main historic factors are: • The rise of the religious orders: They were the fundators of not only the monasteries but also the universities. They were the ones who care most about learning, philosophies, art, churches. • The blossoming of chivalry: Literature was marked by the virtues associated with chivalry, heroes, gentlemen, knights. • The Crusades: Many of the compositions had allusions or full plots about crusades. The crusades are associated also with chivalry, and chivalry is also associated with the Christian values. • The Christian and heroic virtues: Even though the literature was about heroes, it also comes with compassion, self sacrifice, generosity... • Learning: Learning all kind of science, maths, philosophy... Poetry once more becomes the predominant kind of literary art, the main genre. Most of the poetical compositions are anonymous again. DIDACTIC POETRY The owl and the nightingale The poem has no signature but it is attributed to the Master Nicholas of Gilford. It is an argument between two birds, one is an owl and the other one it´s a nightingale. They represent different qualities and that is the didactic purpose. The owl is prudent, but it is sad. The nightingale represents the happiness, the music, but it is very superficial. There is no conclusion in the poem and this makes the poem intellectual. ALLITERATIVE POEMS They all appear in one same manuscript and there are: · Pearl · Purity · Patience · Sir Gawain and the green Knight The poems are attributed to the same author and all of them share the same characteristics. The date of composition is unknown but it might be the third quarter of XIV Century. The first three poems are religious in their plot. PEARL is the finest because the other two are more didactic in an explicit way and pearl is more

allegorical far more subtle. It tells the story of a poet’s vision in which a female figure, representing the good soul, but also he laments that he had lost a pearl, which might be the poet’s daughter image. The poem has passages of moving beauty really sincere. It is artistically well finished and handle. It is full of energy and spirit. Purity and patience are much more didactic. SIR GAWAIN is probably the finest Middle English poem. The author was a master of plot and the characters are very good characterized. The author shows a super handling of the alliteration in long line term. Sir Gawain is the youngest Knight of the king Arthur’s. The story Begins in New Year’s Day. The knights are gathered and a green knight appears so he challenge them to cut off his head with an axe with the condition of one year plus one day after that, the knight who cut his head off has to go to look for him and then let him try the same. If he doesn’t succeeded would be green Knight turn. This literature is full of meanings, he is full green. It’s not realistic, it’s related to the chivalry virtues because the knight has accepted the challenge. Sir Gawain is brave. He has all the virtues that a knight has to have. He starts his journey and he arrives at a castle, the castle of Lord Bertilak, when he arrives he is received by Bertilak. Lord Bertilak’s wife is very attractive to Sir Gawain and she tries to seduce him. Symbolism and meaning Symbolism is a fundamental element of meaning. The poem has a deep meaning although this deep meaning is not totally understood. The main theme is chivalry virtues: honour, justice, repentance. They are also associated with sympathy, not ruthless; he is a brave warrior but never an assassin. Repentance and forgiveness are also very deep in the poem as he regrets keeping the girdle. All of them are Christian values as all medieval characters had same characteristics. Going back to the symbolism the death and rebirth relates with Christian beliefs. Also the Green Knight is a symbolic figure which represents pure pagan tradition but other stands for Christ. Green is also a colour related with hope and life. In medieval literature coexists two kinds of woman. Woman as temptation; on the other hand, woman can be an inspiration for the man. In medieval times we have platonic love, not sexual love. The physical beauty appears as a mirror of the soul. PIERS PLOWMAN: was also another significant poem, the author supposedly was William Lunglan. It is a narrative and alliterative poem, it is not rhymed. Allegory is completely over in the poem. The own Piers narrates the story, his life is presented as a journey full of troubles and sorrow but it´s also a pursuit of Christ and the Eternal Life. Three different characters: Dowel, Dobet, Dobest.

PROSE A great amount of the prose of the Middle English literature is written in Latin (other is written in Middle English) and many of the prose texts deal with many different questions such as religion and science. Some of the prose writings are also didactic. However, they are all written in Latin as the major language of these time. One of the finest Works is Guide for anchoresses. Is a didactic work written for three sisters who decided to live a retired life of the world and it is based on biblical sources, Saint Augustine, and in the St. Benedict’s rules. It extols the virtues of poverty, goodness, humility, purity and not to wish for material elements. There is an analogy between anchorite and anchoress with birds. There is also the image of the soul as a brittle and fragile glass....