Old English Literature

This review of the critical reception of Old English literature from 1900 to the present moves beyond a focus on individual literary texts so as to survey the different schools, methods, and assumptions that have shaped the discipline.

• Examines the notable works and authors from the period, including Beowulf, the Venerable Bede, heroic poems, and devotional literature
• Reinforces key perspectives with excerpts from ten critical studies
• Addresses questions of medieval literacy, textuality, and orality, as well as style, gender, genre, and theme
• Embraces the interdisciplinary nature of the field with reference to historical studies, religious studies, anthropology, art history, and more

"John D. Niles has long been one of the most intelligent and creative readers of Old English literature; wherever his wide-ranging interest turns, he writes with a poet's heart, a scholar's sharp insight, and a sure grasp of critical history. One could hardly ask for a livelier or more inspiring guide to the current state of Old English studies." -Roy M. Liuzza, University of Tennessee

"Old English Literature is authoritative, comprehensive, reflective and wise, reflecting the author's breadth of understanding of his subject and his secure appreciation of the wider context of literary studies in the twentieth and twenty-first century. The book will be seen as an indispensable guide to Anglo-Saxon literary studies, complementing Niles's The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England 1066-1901." -Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast

"This is a wide-ranging survey of critical studies on Old English literature that effectively maps out a complete field, all described in the engaged voice of a toiler in that field who is as generous as he is well-informed in his assessments. Accounts of important studies are leavened with brief biographies of influential critics that facilitate understanding critical movements in their full context, while reprinted key essays provide an added bonus. Through crafting this highly ambitious guide, Niles has provided a service for anyone interested in the study of Old English literature as it has been practiced over the last forty or so years." -Jonathan Wilcox, University of Iowa

John D. Niles is the Frederic G. Cassidy Professor of Humanities, Emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of California, Berkeley. A former President of the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists, he is the author or editor of a dozen books on Old English literature and related topics, including The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England 1066­1901: Remembering, Forgetting, Deciphering, and Renewing the Past (Wiley Blackwell, 2015) and Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition (1983).

The Anglo-Saxons produced a stunning array of writings both in Latin and, importantly, in the English language of their time. By the end of the Middle Ages, however, Old English literature had fallen into oblivion. It was not until the Renaisance and later times that shcolars began to bring many of these works back to light. Today they are a precious part of the world's literary heritage, even while provoking a wide range of critical responses, the laws, chronicles, and other writings of Anglo-Saxon England have had a lasting influence on modern social institutions. Angl-Saxon Studies offers readers a fascinating account of the sometimes contentious process by which knowledge of the literature of this period was recovered, and how Anglo-Saxon England became and remains a "useful past" for scholars, artists, creative writers and thinkers. The book thus offers a wide-ranging assessment of the history of Anglo-Saxon studies as a discipline, starting from its post-Conquest beginnings and continuing to the present day. After establishing the earlier history of the field, the book delves into an analysis of the recent criticism of Old English literature, featuring excerpts from ground-breaking essays that illustrate the most important critical trends of the past fifty years, and show the field's continuing dynamic evolution. Anglo-Saxon Studies provides a valuable critical overview for anyone interested in early medieval literature and culture.

The Anglo-Saxons produced a stunning array of writings both in Latin and, importantly, in the English language of their time. By the end of the Middle Ages, however, Old English literature had fallen into oblivion. It was not until the Renaisance and later times that shcolars began to bring many of these works back to light. Today they are a precious part of the worlds literary heritage, even while provoking a wide range of critical responses, the laws, chronicles, and other writings of Anglo-Saxon England have had a lasting influence on modern social institutions. Angl-Saxon Studies offers readers a fascinating account of the sometimes contentious process by which knowledge of the literature of this period was recovered, and how Anglo-Saxon England became and remains a "useful past" for scholars, artists, creative writers and thinkers. The book thus offers a wide-ranging assessment of the history of Anglo-Saxon studies as a discipline, starting from its post-Conquest beginnings and continuing to the present day. After establishing the earlier history of the field, the book delves into an analysis of the recent criticism of Old English literature, featuring excerpts from ground-breaking essays that illustrate the most important critical trends of the past fifty years, and show the fields continuing dynamic evolution. Anglo-Saxon Studies provides a valuable critical overview for anyone interested in early medieval literature and culture.

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