A Guide to Old English - Hardcover

Mitchell, Bruce; Robinson, Fred C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0631166564 ISBN 13: 9780631166566

Publisher: Blackwell Pub, 1991

Synopsis

The fifth edition of this standard text has been revised and corrected to take into account suggestions from teachers and students. The two most important new features are a substantial introduction to Old English metre (appendix C of part one) and the addition of Aelfric's account of Edmund King and martyr to the prose texts of part two. Key features of part one are the fact that sound changes are not treated as an abstract system divorced form the texts, but are discussed when they become relevant to an understanding of the apparent regularities in inflexion; the authoritative section on syntax; and the introduction to Anglo-Saxon studies, which discusses language, literature, history, archaeology and ways of life. In part two the prose texts selected are those traditionally chosen by teachers precisely because they offer the best introduction to the literature and culture of the period. The verse texts, which with the exception of four extracts from "Beowulf" are all complete, show something of the range that Old English poetry offers in mood, intensity of feeling, humour and natural observation. The texts are accompanied by full explanatory notes at the foot of the page and a detailed glossary.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

A Guide to Old English is now the standard and most popular introduction to Old English language and literature. The fifth edition has been revised and corrected to take into account suggestions from teachers and students. The two most important new features are a substantial introduction to Old English metre (Appendix C of Part One) and the addition of &AEliglfric's account of Edmund King and Martyr to the prose texts of Part Two.

Key features of Part One are the fact that sound changes are not treated as an abstract system divorced from the texts, but are discussed when they become relevant to an understanding of the apparent irregularities in inflexion; the authoritative section on syntax; and the introduction to Anglo-Saxon studies, which discusses language, literature, history, archaeology, and ways of life. In Part Two the prose texts selected are those traditionally chosen by teachers precisely because they offer the best introduction to the literature and culture of the period. The verse texts, which with the exception of four extracts from Beowulf are all complete, show something of the range that Old English poetry offers in mood, intensity of feeling, humour, and natural observation. The texts are accompanied by full explanatory notes at the foot of the page and a detailed glossary.

Although most readers of A Guide to Old English will be undergraduate and graduate students, the book has been written so that it can be used by those working on their own who wish simply to gain a greater understanding and enjoyment of the language and literature of the Anglo-Saxons.

About the Author:

Bruce Mitchell is Fellow Emeritus of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford.

Fred C. Robinson is Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of English at Yale University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackwell Pub
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0631166564
• ISBN 13: 9780631166566
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 376