ENGL 319-01, Old English Language, Literature and Culture, Spring 2013

Abstract

In this course you will learn to read the very earliest English literature in its original form, poetry and prose from an intriguing medieval culture that has exerted profound influence even in modern times. Old English was the language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons from roughly 450-1100 AD, and the period‘s stories of heroes, saints, monsters, and exiles have inspired such writers as J.R.R. Tolkien, Ezra Pound, and Seamus Heaney. Since most Modern English speakers must learn Old English as a foreign language, our work will involve intensive study of Old English grammar with the primary goal of translating a wide range of evocative texts.. Course requirements include daily exercises and readings, a series of quizzes and tests (including oral recitation), and a final research project. Prerequisites: Any 200-level literature course or permission from the instructor.