Task # 1: Old and Middle

English

Jader Vega

Literature I

Mr. Levis Lozano

Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Humanas

Universidad de Córdoba

Montería-Córdoba

2022
INTRODUCTON

The beginning of English literature ranges from the literary resources left by the Anglo-

Saxon culture to our times. This paper will address questions and answers about what

primitive English was like in its times and what aspects can be highlighted at that time so

that in this way we can make a better understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture and how its

different stages developed until reaching the renaissance stage. The specific objective starts

from making a textual analysis of the first writings that gave the bases for the current

English language.
Task 1.

Activity # 1: Set the scene.

1. When was English literature born?

The period that includes the High Middle Ages was the period in which, with the influence
of the Anglo-Saxon colonists, the first vestiges of English literature appeared.
2. What is the scenery in which it was born?
The scenery was prominently one of war and invasions. In those times Britain was invaded
by varied cultures like; Saxons, Angles among others which also shared their cultures and
languages with the early English literature making a mixture that gave birth to the actual
English after periods of change and evolution.

3. What topics does it refer to?

The topics of the first literature were close related to human emotions to be more specific the
written and spoken literature was mainly about love, faith and value emotions that are present
in almost every piece of the early literature, as well as basic feelings like sadness and
happiness.

4. What is the result of the invasion suffered by Britain?

The invasion left a mixture of language and culture that joined to the native literature creating
new features to the language and modifying the actual literature. The constant invasions
enriched culture and in general literature that permanently was changing given the new
cultural traces that came with the invaders.

Like when Norman conquered in 1066, the French language began to mix with the old
English into a more modern language.
5. What is the first language of English Literature?

The first language of English literature is the well-known old English language, also called
Anglo-Saxon, it was the first language spoken before the middle English and modern English.
It was the result of a mixture of different countries and cultures given the number of invasions
that took place there.

The most important works of this period; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a record of the early
English culture.

Caedmon’s Hymns. A religious poem. And the well Beowulf, an epic poem describing
adventures of Legendary heroes.

6. What cultures did influence the Anglo-Saxon period?

The Anglo-Saxon period was influenced mainly by saxons, Angles, jutes, vikings and
Normans but the most important were the Angles and saxons given the huge impact they had
on the early English culture, that’s why this period took that name. Their influence changed
people’s culture and literature.

7. When was the last invasion of Britain?

The last invasion of British was in 1066 at the battle of Hastings. The Normans gained
England domain with William the conqueror at the head who then became the King of
England. In this period the French language began to mix with the Old English giving birth
to new literature features that incorporated French language features.

8. Who was English Literature influenced by?

English literature was enormously influenced by a well-known character, his name William
Shakespeare, whose work was and is the inspiration of almost every person in the English
and the whole literature world. He created new words and introduced novel features that
changed literature by creating thousands of valuable pieces of literature works.
ACTIVITY #2

1. What are the subjects of the first literature?

The subjects of the first literature were universal and timeless. Some of the main subjects
of the first literature were:
-War
-Faith (Religion)
-Personal Sadness and happiness.

2. Who were the first English writers?

The first English writers were the Christian monks in the monasteries, they wrote the
words of the early literature. They were the only people that could learn to read and write
and for a long time they were the guardian of culture and learning. But not much remains
of all the writing that the monks kept. They reflect on to cultures: Of Christianity and
heroic deeds. Most of these texts remain anonymous.

3.What are the features of the Oldest English

Poetry?
Old English poetry utilized two important features: caesura and alliteration. The caesura,
a pause or break in the middle of each line, created rhythm and structure in the poem, as
well as connected different parts to create a cohesive narrative. Alliteration, the repetition
of initial sounds in words, added to the musicality of the poem, emphasized certain words
and ideas, and made it easier to remember and recite. These features also served as a
reminder of the oral tradition in which Old English poetry was composed and transmitted.

4. List the names of the first English Texts.

-Caedmon's Hymn
-Deor 's Lament
- The Wanderer
- The Seafarer
- The Dream of the Rood
-Beowulf
-The Battle of Maldon

Activity # 3: Caedmon’s Hymn

Questions:

What is this song about?

It is a poem composed by Caedmon, an illiterate cowherd who was able to sing in honor
of God the Creator, thanking him for all that God had created, using words he had never
heard before. The work was handed down from a Latin translation by Bede in his
Ecclesiastical History of the English People. It was composed between 658 and 680 and
is the oldest Old English poem on record.

Write down something about it. It could be a poem, a reflection. If you don’t believe in
God, just write down why, but in a poetry way. Be inspire.

Activity # 4: Anglo-Saxon poem “Deor”

Read the poem and answer the following.

Questions:

1. What is this poem about?

Welund, a mythical blacksmith enslaved by King Nithhad, although he took revenge by

killing his sons and impregnating his daughter Beadohild before escaping.
Matilda Ella was haunted by a premonition that she would die by drowning in a river.
When that happens, he performs an incantation with his harp and manages to pull her out
of the water. There are two versions of the rest of the legend: in one she comes back to
life; in the other, she is still dead, and Gauti buries her, although he uses her hair as new
strings for his harp.

2. What kind of feeling does it transmit?

I feel it conveys a lot of mixed feelings, but I feel it inspires and connects. It really speaks
to both the heart and the imagination. The lives, the worries and hopes of people living
over a thousand years ago, deep back into history, suddenly seem very real and relatable,
and I feel what I think is an emotional and human connection with them.

3. Have you ever felt like the main characters of it?

No, the truth is that I have never felt this way and I have never dreamed of a similar
situation, although the situation is complicated and the position of the protagonists, it
would be even more complicated because each protagonist does each thing because it is
premeditated and planned or according to them it is written, or it is the destiny.

4. Be inspire and write down something about it. It could be a poem.

Destiny is not marked, situations can change, but there is something in your soul that
makes you remember and not feel free.

Complicated situations we all live through but hate is not optional even if you see it all
happening like in an album.

For everything there is a solution and life are not about imitating, life is about giving and
receiving love.

Activity # 5 Beowulf and Long Poems

Answer the following questions:

1. Which poems are preserved in the Exeter Book?

There are several poems that are preserved in the Exeter Book, but particularly two other
personal but anonymous poems are: The Wanderer and The Seafarer.

2. Why the poem called The Dream of the Rood is so important for the English
Literature?

The Dream of the Rood is an important poem for the English Literature for two reasons:
it is the first of a kind of poem which became very popular in later literature, the dream
– vision, and this poem also shows a great range of words to describe the cross of Christ,
and a range of images which later poems developed.

3. What is the main heroic text about?

The main heroic text is called Beowulf, and it describes events that are part of the period’s
memory: invasions and battles, some historic, some legendary. The poem is set around
the sixth century. Beowulf is the first hero in English Literature, and he is a man who can
win battles and give safety to his people over a long period of time.

4. What is the poem The Battle of Maldon about?

The Battle of Maldon is a long poem about battles and heroes too. But this is much more
factual, it describes a real battle rather than retelling a fictional story of war.

5. Who wrote the new version of The Beowulf story?

The new version of The Beowulf story was written by the Irish Nobel Prize winner,
Seamus Heaney.
6. Who was Bede and why he is a main character in English Literature?

Bede was a monk who lived between 673 and 735. He is a main character in English
Literature because he wrote many books, mostly about the Bible, but he is remembered
also for his History of the English Church and People written in Latin.

7. List the first English book and say what are they about?

The first English book was The Anglo – Saxon Chronicle. It tells the history of England
from the beginning of Christian times, around AD 600, to 1154, with details of invasions
and battles. This book is essential for our knowledge of the history and the language of
Old English.

8. Why is King Alfred the Great an important character in English Literature?

King Alfred the Great is an important character in English Literature because he ordered
many translations of religious and historical texts and helped to bring the West Saxon
dialect into a strong position as the language of literature and history.

9. Who was Aelfric, tell us about his job?

Aelfric was a monk from Winchester, he was an important translator as well as writer.
His works include Catholic Homilies and Lives of the Saints. He uses real spoken
English, and all the features of Old English Literature are found in his works. He is the
greatest figure in Old English prose.
CONCLUSION

To conclude, it is important to emphasize that religion played an important role in the

development of literature, likewise, the church and independent authors left their mark

and their perception of the society of those times in the writings that remained for

posterity. It is important to know these aspects and the stages that went through for

literature to finish developing on the island of Britain, since we are the posterity who is

appreciating those writings, we can understand how they thought, what they believed,

and other aspects. that stood out in the communities of those times.