Old English Literature.docVIP

Old English Literature 1. Historical Background ---English literature begins around the 8th century, which is very different from English today ---Old English was the language of England or a long time before the Norman Conquest in A.D.1066 and for some 100 years afterward 2. Writers and their work ---Beowulf (about the 6th century) (---the study of English literature usually begins with the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf---Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic, in alliterative verse originating from the collective efforts of oral literature. ---the story tells how the hero Beowulf defeats the monster and finally receives his own death in fighting with a fire dragon. ---King Alfred ( 849--991) ---In old English literature, he is an important figure and the only honored as “the Great” ---A foundation stone of English history is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was begun by Alfred or under his direction ---the King made or directed the many important translations from Latin to Old English, which did much to advance learning in what was still a rather wild kingdom ---translation of Bede’s Ecclesiastical history of the English People into old English Middle English Literature (1100--1500) ---Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?--1400) ---He was an English poet. ---his masterpiece is The Canterbury Tales (1387), which contains 24 tales told by a group of pilgrims on their journey to Canterbury and are written in verse ---He did not complete his total design but there are 24 tales ---His contributions to English literature is the innovation of English verse by introducing into the native alliterative verse of French and Italian styles --- Chaucer is thus to be regarded as the first short story teller and the first modern poet in Eng