Old and Middle English c.890-c.1400: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies)

By Elaine M. Treharne

Book Overview

Spanning almost seven centuries, this anthology encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English, culminating in some of the finest works produced in English in the high Middle Ages. New edition of this widely-used anthology of Old and Middle English literature. Spans almost seven centuries, from the earliest writings in English to the time of Chaucer. Encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English, culminating in some of the finest works produced in the high Middle Ages. Now extended to include newly-edited versions of key late medieval texts, namely 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', extracts from 'Piers Plowman', and selections from Chaucer. Texts are arranged by date of manuscript. Full translations are offered for the Old and earlier Middle English material, along with marginal glosses for the later texts. A general introduction gives an outline of key works and the historical context in which they were written.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1405113138
• ISBN13: 9781405113137
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Length: 712 Pages
• Weight: 2.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.7" x 1.5" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Much improved second edition

The new edition of this anthology is greatly superior to the old one. The previous edition covered Old English quite thoroughly, but only the first half of the Middle English period. Thus, it was difficult to assign it to students in my Middle English class, since I'd have to also choose a textbook to cover the later fourteenth century. That defeciency has been corrected. The new edition adds selections from Langland, Chaucer, and the Gawain-poet. There are a few losses, "King Alisauder" being the most grievous, but nothing really fatal.Overall, the changes made for this new edition make it a more useful and usable anthology. The introductory material and the footnotes are helpful.One criticism I have is that only the first and last fitts of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" are provided; I would prefer to see all of that poem. To me, that's pretty serious, and I'll have to find an additional text of GGK: the middle fitts, particularly Fitt 3, are vital to an understanding of the poem. Less serious are the omissions from the Chaucer section; perhaps alternate Canterbury Tales, or even "The Parliament of Fowls" or "The Book of the Duchess" could flesh this section out in a future edition.