Aims

This module introduces you to the poetry of the early middle ages in the original Old English, thereby giving you the opportunity to study the very beginnings of literature in the English language.

Old English poetry covers a wide range of genres, including wisdom literature, religious verse, heroic and elegiac poetry, and innuendo-laden riddles. From this range of material, we will explore literature that negotiates between the Germanic, heroic, Christian, and quotidian cultures that pervaded the age and were especially relevant to the North of England. As such, this module is uniquely placed to address topics of race, gender, and othering, which have a deep and sometimes troubling association with an English past.

Outline Of Syllabus

We will focus on three main poetic texts in their original language. We will start by examining the earliest dream poem in English, instrumental in establishing the conventions for describing religious experience, The Dream of the Rood. This will be followed by a deeply moving poem about loss and loneliness, The Wanderer. Finally, we will examine one of the greatest poems about heroes, monsters, and warfare, Beowulf.

You will 'slow read' these texts by creating your own translations of the original Old English. Through this process, you will gain an understanding of the key features of the language and its poetics and, in doing so, you will have the opportunity to examine and reflect on your own poetic impulses. You will also situate these texts in their literary contexts by reading a wider range of other Old English poetry in translation, as well as reflect on the place of Old English literature today.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures introduce students to the contexts of the texts they will study in the module, including linguistic and literary background. Translation discussion sessions provide guidance and support for the translation of the core texts and an opportunity to consider the creative processes involved in producing poetry of this kind. Small group teaching seminars develop the topics of the lectures and enable the practice of skills, namely close textual analysis, critical thinking, literary, oral, written, and interpersonal communication, and the synthesis and presentation of textual material.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Written Exercise 1 (mid-module, formative; 1000 words): students will produce a close-reading commentary on a passage of Old English.

Essay 1 (end-of-semester, summative; 3000 words, 100%): using their understanding of Old English and translation practices, students will write a comparative, thematic piece on at least two different Old English texts. Students will have the option of producing an essay with either a literary or linguistic focus.

The mid-module close-reading exercise will give students a base on which to build their understanding of Old English language and poetics, their own translation practices, and those of others. They will use this understanding in their end-of-semester essay, to produce detailed textual evidence for their argument. The mixed modes of assessment, combining close reading and comparative/contextual analysis, ensure good coverage of the selected texts and encourage students to focus on detailed aspects of the module materials and topics, connecting their ideas with the module's broader themes.