English 190

Research Seminar: Medieval English Poetry

Other Readings and Media

Course reader containing Malcolm Andrew and Ronald Waldron. ed., Pearl, Bella Millet, ed., Harley Lyrics, Rosemary Allen, ed., King Horn, David Burnley and Allison Wiggins, ed., Sir Orfeo and The King of Tars, selections from Thomas Wright, Political Poems and Songs from Edward III to Richard II, selections from other Middle English and multilingual English lyric collections, assorted influential and recent medieval verse criticism

Description

The poetry of medieval England, often witty, sometimes moving, occasionally shocking, and frequently creative in form, style and use of language, has inspired poets including Seamus Heaney, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Geoffrey Hill. We will be exploring the form, style and content of Middle English poetry and multilingual poems of medieval England. Comparing the layout of medieval poems on their original manuscript pages to their modern editions, we will consider what kind of layout best suits the poems and what we may learn from manuscript structures. In a translation project, all students will have the opportunity to bring the features of medieval poetry which they value in Middle English into modern English. There will also be regular reading responses and a final research paper.

We will read most texts in the original Middle English. Some poems of medieval England are written in Latin, French, or even a combination of Latin, French and English; poetry in languages other than Middle English will always be printed alongside extensive glossing or translation. Previous enrollment in English 45a or in another Middle English literature class is welcome, but not required; no prior knowledge of Middle English is necessary for this class.

A course reader containing printed copies of all of the class readings will be available. We will also be using online scholarly editions, so students should plan to use campus computer labs or personal computers, netbooks or tablets in order to prepare for class.

This section of English 190 satisfies the pre-1800 requirement for the English major.

English 190 replaced English 100 and 150 as of Fall '09. English majors may fulfill the seminar requirement for the major by taking one section of English 190 (or by having taken either English 100 or English 150 before Fall '09). Please read the paragraph on page 2 of the Announcement of Classes for more details about enrolling in or wait-listing for this course.

Please click here for more information about enrollment in English 190.

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