Medieval English Literature

This succinct and authoritative anthology of medieval English literature is the first volume of The Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Second Edition. Emphasizing texts that give students first-hand access to significant aspects of the Middle Ages, this collection reveals the vast riches of medieval literature in English, from Anglo-Saxon times to the fifteenth century. Significantly revised and expanded to reflect the contemporary canon, this new edition features editorial introductions based on the latest scholarly research; newly edited and annotated versions of many of the texts; a section on women's writing and experiences; new and better illustrations; and a longer and updated bibliography. Medieval English Literature, 2/e includes the complete texts of Beowulf (Edwin Morgan Translation) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (revised Keith Harrison translation). It provides a generous selection of Chaucer's work including "General Prologue," "Miller's Prologue and Tale," "Nun's Priest's Tale," "Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale," "Franklin's Prologue and Tale," "Pardoner's Prologue and Tale," "Thisbe," and Books I and II of "Trolius and Criseyde." The volume also includes Sir Orfeo, a greatly improved selection of Anglo-Saxon poetry, and selections from Anglo-Saxon wisdom literature (including riddles and gnomic verses). All selections are printed either in their entirety or in substantial extracts, and the editors situate them in the historical, intellectual, and cultural milieu in which they were produced, recited, or written down. The texts are introduced and annotated in an instructive yet unobtrusive manner, promoting students' understanding, evaluation, and enjoyment of them as literature. Medieval English Literature, 2/e is an exceptional text for courses in medieval English literature, old and middle English literature, and English literature 600-1500.