For Friday: Maxims I-A, B and C (pp.171-191)

NOTE: The "Shakespeare" group will answer these questions and respond on Friday. 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: The Maxims are collections of proverbs and wisdom and may be from widely disparate authors writing ages apart. Or they could be from a single writer. So assume that each set (A, B, and C) are by a single author. What kind of poet wrote ‘A’? Who wrote ‘B’? And who wrote ‘C?’ What personality shapes the ideas and sayings of each one? You might even connect it to the author of one of the poems we’ve already read (which one did the Battle of Maldon poet write, for example)?

Q2: Would you say these maxims are more philosophical or pragmatic in nature? In other words, do they deal with poetic abstractions that require deep thought and speculation; or are they mostly practical sayings for the guidance of the common folk? Discuss a short passage that supports this view.

Q3: How do these maxims illustrate the social rules and expectations of women in the Anglo Saxon world? How might this shed some light on the fate of women in such poems as “The Wife’s Lament” and “Wulf and Eadwacer”?

Q4: Are there moments of contradiction in these Maxims? Do they more or less advocate the same ideals and truths? Or are these sentiments impossible to follow due to conflicting ideas and values? Do the contradictions (if there are any) occur in a single poem, or only in one vs. the other? (A vs. C, for example?).

For Wednesday: "The Battle of Maldon" (pp.93-111)

REMEMBER: The "Chaucer" group will answer these questions and be prepared to open the discussion on Wednesday. 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Though “The Battle of Maldon” is about real people engaging in an actual historical event, it is also a calculated work of art. Whatever happened in the real battle, what theme or values about Anglo Saxon society is the poem trying to convey? According to the poet, what makes the English better men than the Vikings? Why are they (to him) more honorable, noble, and heroic? 

Q2: Like many works of Anglo-Saxon literature, the work is fragmentary: we’re missing the beginning and end of the work. However, there is something poetically appropriate about the last lines of the poem: “That was not the Godric who galloped away...” Why does this work as a fitting ending considering the fate of the soldiers and the theme of the poem?

Q3: Though relatively little-known, how might “The Battle of Maldon” be a template for thousands of battle stories and movies to follow? Consider many of the ‘set pieces’ of the poem, including the speeches, the deaths, and the characters themselves. Discuss one moment/element that you’ve probably seen duplicated in a modern book or film (Braveheart, anyone?).

Q4: How does “The Battle of Maldon” further develop the Christian vs. Pagan tension that we’ve seen in other poems such as “The Seafarer” and "The Wanderer"? What insight does the poem give us into the poet’s faith and world view? And how might this reflect Anglo-Saxon culture as it reaches the second century (1000 AD)?

THE DAILY RESPONSE GROUPS

[Note: the questions for Monday are in the post below this one] 

These groups determine which students will lead the class discussion on which day. It will follow this simple rotation: ANONYMOUS-CHAUCER-SHAKESPEARE-AUSTEN (we’ll start with Anonymous on Monday). On your group’s day, please answer two of the four questions on the blog and bring them to question. You may be called on to give one of your answers in class, and you will be required to turn them in that day for credit. Missing the questions on your group day will be an immediately -10 pts. for your Response grade. Likewise, not being able to respond when called on will hurt your Participation grade—so be careful!

NOTE: You are only required to turn in questions on your group’s day. We’ll spend at least four days on most works, but some works will require more time, and some groups will go twice (sorry!). However, you can answer additional questions privately, since the questions can help you prepare for exams and papers—and will keep you better engaged in the readings.

“ANONYMOUS”                                           “CHAUCER”

Paige                                                                Madison

Kate                                                                 Carly

Bailey                                                               Lauren

Amanda                                                           Dominique

“SHAKESPEARE”                                          “AUSTEN”

Preston                                                             Michael

Alizay                                                               Destiny

Kendric                                                            Mitchell

Kristen                                                             Teresa

Chandler                                                          Sharon

For Monday: Poems of Exile and Longing, Part II “The Wife’s Complaint,” “The Husband’s Message,” and “Wulf and Eadwacer” (pp.56-62)

NOTE: The "Anonymous" Group should answer these questions and expect to initiate discussion in class. 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: These are very rare poems in Anglo-Saxon, as they deal chiefly with love and the pains of love. What seems the most universal about one or more of these poems as they approach the timeless subject of love? How also do they put a uniquely Anglo-Saxon twist on the theme of ‘doomed lovers’?

Q2: “The Wife’s Complaint” is very similar in genre/theme to “The Wanderer” and “The Seafarer,” though it approaches this material from the perspective of a female narrator. According to this poem, how does a woman feel exile differently from a man, and how is her “complaint” different from the other two wanderers?

Q3: “Wulf and Eadwacer” is a very cryptic song, alluding to characters and events we can only dimly make out. According to what little we have, what do you think is the story behind this work? Who are the main characters, and how does wyrd keep them apart? You might also consider the importance of the refrain, “How differently it goes for us...” (which is translated in another version as, "our fate is forked"). 

Q4: Though “The Husband’s Message” might not be a response to “The Wife’s Complaint,” why did early editors suggest it was? What about the poem seems to respond to the earlier poem, and what ‘defense’ of his conduct does he offer? Why, too, might he have to end his reply with a coded message (in runes—see the Old English version for the code he uses).

For Friday: Poems of Exile and Longing (The Seafarer, Deor, The Wanderer)

Poems: 

The Seafarer (p.27)

Deor (p.47)

The Wanderer (p.57)

[note: I have the Hardcopy version, so the page numbers might not be the same] 

For the first readings, I won't give you any questions to respond to (we'll do some in-class writing instead). However, I do have some instructions for you:

1. READ IT ALOUD: As Michael Alexander, an Old-English scholar, writes about his translations: "I must further strain the sympathy of the reader by asking him [or her] to read these translations aloud , and with as much vigour and deliberation as he finds the line warrants" (xxv). So have fun with it: scream, declaim, bellow, resound, and boom. Don't worry about the meaning the first or second time around--just note the sounds and rhythms of the piece.

2. READ IT MORE THAN ONCE: If you just read each poem once and toss the book aside, it might not be very useful for you. Poetry increases with re-readings; in the same way, the first time you hear a song it might go right over your head. But when you hear it the fourth or fifth time, it becomes your new favorite song. Read it aloud, then silently, then aloud again. They're very short so this should be easy to do.

3. LOOK FOR METAPHORS: After you've read it several times, look for how the poet and Anglo-Saxon culture translates one experience in the terms of another. We have metaphors such as "time = money" which helps us understand how time works in relation to how we spend, borrow, and save money. How do they help their readers/listeners understand the realities of their own world? 

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to British Literature to 1800, Fall 2018 edition, MWF @11-11:50! I look forward to taking  you through one of the greatest--okay, the greatest--periods in all English-language literature, and reading alongside you as you discover Chaucer's pilgrims and Jane Austen's heroines (and villains). 

This course is a highly subjective seminar that tries to trace the “family history” of English literature from around the 10th century to the early 19th. I like to think of this class as a tour of a great museum: there’s too much to see in one day (or one semester), so we could either rush through and click off each painting, or we could pick a painting in each room and say, “okay, let’s really sit down and examine this painting.” I’ve chosen six “paintings” for us to read this semester, hoping that our discussions will teach us about the people who wrote them, the time that shaped them, and the legacy of literary criticism that makes these texts relevant in the 21st century. 

The challenge for the student is to read slowly and attentively, and not be discouraged by works that frustrate our modern notions of what literature is or should be. So whether you are an ardent Anglophile or are racked with metrophobia (fear of poetry), you will find something in this class that moves you…confuses you…inspires you…and intimidates you. Read with an open mind and don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

BE SURE to buy all the books for this course, since you WILL need them. Check the syllabus for the course requirements and calendar, and please e-mail me with any questions or concerns. I look forward to spending the semester with you and these magnificent books!