Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This collection of 21 papers, written by leading authorities over the last 25 years, will provide a useful background to Old English prose and verse. The collection includes general discussions of the importance of the written word to Anglo-Saxon society, Anglo-Saxon education and editing Old English texts, with studies of the themes behind specific works, including Caedmon's Hymn, the Chronicle, sermons, elegies and The Battle of Maldon . The focus is on themes and historical context rather than on linguistics.
Synopsis
Recognizing the dramatic changes in Old English studies over the past generation, this up-to-date anthology gathers twenty-one outstanding contemporary critical writings on the prose and poetry of Anglo-Saxon England, from approximately the seventh through eleventh centuries. The contributors focus on texts most commonly read in introductory Old English courses while also engaging with larger issues of Anglo-Saxon history, culture, and scholarship. Their approaches vary widely, encompassing disciplines from linguistics to psychoanalysis. In an appealing introduction to the book, R. M. Liuzza presents an overview of Old English studies, the history of the scholarship, and major critical themes in the field. For both newcomers and more advanced scholars of Old English, these essays will provoke discussion, answer questions, provide background, and inspire an appreciation for the complexity and energy of Anglo-Saxon studies.