Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #201039 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 712 pages

Review
"Monsters, erotic desire, spiritual Angst, the adventures of saints and knights, the harshness and joy of nature – Treharne′s anthology makes vivid and accessible early medieval literature in all its vitality and variety. The effect is to challenge notions of how modern literature constructs reality." Peter Brown, University of Kent at Canterbury

"Old and Middle English c.890–c.1400: An Anthology is a valuable seminar resource. It contains an imaginative selection of canonical and non–canonical material, and can be used both to facilitate group discussion and to encourage independent student research." Helen Moore, Oxford University

"The broad scope of this anthology, including its presentation of Old English texts with the original and translation on facing pages as well as its focus upon the manuscript contexts of the texts, is something that sets it apart from other such collections and makes it an ideal choice for survey courses in medieval English literature." Stephen R. Reimer, University of Alberta

From the Back Cover
Spanning almost seven centuries, this anthology of literary texts ranges from the earliest writings in English up to the time of Chaucer. It encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English, culminating in some of the finest works produced in the high Middle Ages. For the second edition, the anthology has been extended to include newly edited versions of key late medieval texts, particularly ′Sir Gawain and the Green Knight′, substantial extracts from ′Piers Plowman′, and selections from the works of Chaucer. The texts are arranged by date of manuscript, foregrounding issues of dating, textual transmission, authorship and audience. Full translations are offered for all the Old and earlier Middle English material, along with marginal glosses for the later texts, making them accessible to those who are not language specialists. A general introduction gives an outline of the key works and the historical context in which they were written.

About the Author
Elaine Treharne is Professor of Medieval Literature at the University of Leicester. She is the co–editor of The Blackwell Companion to Anglo–Saxon Literature (2001) and of Anglo–Saxon Manuscripts and their Heritage (1998), and the author of The Old English Life of St Nicholas with the Old English Life of St Giles (1997). She is also a past editor of the annual Year’s Work in English Studies.