THE ANGLO-SAXONS (450-1100)
Background |
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Begins with the invasion of Celtic England by Germanic tribes |
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Lasts until the conquest of England by the Norman-French William the Conqueror. |
Anglo-Saxon poetry |
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Poetry was listened, not read. |
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Anglo-Saxon poetry was oral. |
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A bard (or scop) recited or sang the poetry. |
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It is believed that it was initially recorded by Christian Monks. |
Scop /shop/ |
A bard poet; storyteller. Also serves as a narrator to move the story along and reiterate the morals or values of the time. |
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Often performed in the Mead Hall (gathering place). Preserved the culture in song before writing was common. |
Literary devices |
Caesura |
rhythmic pause to create unity. Punctuation reproduces pause effect of the caesura. |
Alliteration |
the repetition of consonant sound in words close together. |
Kenning |
a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly. |
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A kenning enhances the literal meaning of the words. A kenning gives the listener an idea of how the words connect to an idea or concept that is richer and more emotionally complex. |
The Anglo-Saxon world was tribal, so the people who are the subjects of the poems had a different way of seeing where they lived; they had different “laws” and ways of life as well.
BEOWULF
The first great work of English national literature. |
The epic story of the hero Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster Grendel (man-eating monster). |
Two parts |
The epic hero is the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society. |
Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses a caesura, or rhythmic pause, to create unity. |
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THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD 1100-1500
Background |
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1066 - the beginning of a new social and linguistic era |
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the 1470s - the printing press introduced in England by William Caxton |
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Language of court became French. |
French |
‘High’ functions |
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‘high’ culture: government, law, religion, education, literature, science, the arts, ‘high society’ English |
English |
‘Low’ functions |
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‘common folk’: home speech, folk/popular songs, tales, everyday commerce |
Literature |
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Became more refined. |
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Court and peasants both enjoyed new songs from Scotland, Ireland, and England. |
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Court enjoyed medieval romances from France. |
Genres |
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chivalric romances |
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folk ballads |
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dramas |
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morality plays |
Types of historical material |
Rome |
Classical legends |
France |
Often tales of Charlemagne and his knights |
Britain |
Arthurian stories |
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Tales dealing with knightly heroes |
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
Written by the unknown “Pearl poet." |
Arthurian Romance in Alliterative Verse |
Involves Sir Gawain’s quest to confront the Green Knight, who has disrupted Arthur’s court. |
The Green Knight represents pagan fertility against Gawain’s Christian chastity. A church reaction against “courtly love.” |
There is a movie called after this work, which is actually good.
THE CANTERBURY TALES
Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400) |
Was a civil servant, held several political positions. |
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Observer of life and people (satirist). |
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Broke tradition by writing in native English. |
The Canterbury Tales |
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The Prologue tells the story of 29 pilgrims who, on their way to Canterbury (to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket), participate in a tale-telling contest to pass the time |
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Each tale had to have a moral and be entertaining. |
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The Tales is a collection of the various pilgrims’ stories. |
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Originally planned to be 120 tales, Chaucer only completed 24. |
The Wife of Bath's Tale |
The Wife of Bath |
A worthy woman from beside Bath city |
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Attractive, red-faced, gap- toothed, large hipped, and somewhat deaf Loves to laugh and talk. |
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Traveled a lot (Pilgrimages to Jerusalem 3 times, Rome, etc.) |
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Married 5 times (expert in love; had many “boyfriends” in her youth) |
The Tale |
Tale of a knight who breaks the rules of chivalry and is punished with a challenge that he has a year and a day to complete. WoB’s Tale |
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This tale belongs with the Marriage Group tales of The Canterbury Tales as it deals with philosophies of love and marriage. |
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Classified as a “medieval romance” due to its setting, characters, and code of chivalry. |
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