Evans, Jonathan
MWF 4 :10 PM
Park Hall 269
ENGL 4290 Topics in Medieval Literature Spring 2022
Class Meetings: MWF 4:10 - 5:00 p.m. Park Hall 269
This is a course in medieval literature with special emphasis on literary texts from the Old English period. The particulars of the class schedule and requirements will be posted soon; but in general besides reading and discussing the prose and poetic works from the textbook -- The Anglo-Saxon World: an Anthology -- there will be occasional short quizzes in class, and students will be required to select one of the texts on the syllabus for their special study, research, and interim reports. The final exam will be individualized to each student reflecting the particular text they've selected.
Text
All of the prose and poetic texts appearing on the schedule of assignments (below) are available in many translation editions, but the one written and edited by Kevin Crossley-Holland is recommended for students' purchase:
Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Anglo-Saxon World: An Anthology. N.Y.: Oxford Univ. Press, 1999. ISBN #9780192835475.
Here is a tentative schedule for the semester -- again, subject to some fine-tuning:
Class Schedule
January
10 -14 Introduction: English Literature from the Old English period -- Contexts & Taxonomies
17- 21 Bede, Eccles. Hist.: Descr. of Britain
24 - 28 Bede, Eccles. Hist.:Anglo-Saxon Invasion
31 - F4 Bede, Eccles. Hist.: The Poet Cædmon
February
7 - 11 A.-S. Chronicle: Cynewulf & Cyneheard
14 - 18 King Alfred: Preface to the Cura Pastoralis
21 - 25 A.-S. Chronicle: 1066 The Norman Conquest
28 - M4 "The Battle of Brunnanburh”
March
7 - 11 Spring Break, No class
14 - 18 “The Battle of Maldon”
21 - 25 “The Battle of Maldon,” cont’d.
28 - A1 “The Wanderer”
April
4 - 8 “The Wanderer,” cont’d.
11 - 5 “The Dream of the Rood”
18 - 22 “The Dream of the Rood,” cont’d.
25-29 “The Ruin”
May
2 “The Ruin,” concl.
The Final Exam is scheduled for May 6, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.