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Old English and Middle
English Literature
How did the Old and Middle Ages shape
literature?
1. Pair up with your seatmate.
2. Go to the library or online and research about the
characteristics of the English language during the Old and
Middle Ages. Look for at least 10 examples of words or
phrases and compare them with their modern English
counterparts.
3. Present your findings in class.
Vocabulary Words
erst doughty-in-battle
(adverb) - archaic term for “days long past” (noun) - an archaic term for a “worthy warrior”
Sir Lancelot was a doughty-in-battle, but a disloyal

May we never forget that our forebears erst fought for
subject to his king.
the freedom we now have.
thanemen burnie
(noun) - warriors who serve a thane (the leader of a noble (noun) - an archaic term for a burn, usually on a
house) person’s side
The Thane of Cawdor betrayed the King of Scots by Though the dragon left him with a burnie, the knight
ordering his thanemen to fight with the Norwegians. fought on.
rejoinder falchion
(noun) - an archaic term for a reply or response (noun) - a broad, curved sword whose sharp edge is on
its convex side
The soldier sallied forth without rejoinder after
receiving his superior’s orders. Although falchions are a lesser-known type of sword in
modern times, they have often been referred to in works
of fantasy.
Old English Literature
● spans from around 600 to 1200 AD

● the soulful and practical expressions of a people who
struggled, lost, and triumphed over and against
neighboring invaders and warring factions
● encompasses Anglo-Saxon written and spoken works and
Anglo-Latin works
● major manuscripts of that period told about the lives of
saints, religious poems, and religious narratives
Important Personalities in Old English Literature
● St. Bede or Venerable Bede

● Alfred the Great
● St. Augustine
● William, the Duke of Normandy
Old English Poetry and Prose
● Because of the foresight of the various monasteries or abbeys

across the centuries in Britain, most Old English poetry survived
through these four manuscripts: Beowulf, The Exeter Book, The
Junius or Caedmon Manuscript, and the Vercelli Book.
● Poetry is characterized by patterns of four-stress lines and six-
stress lines. A caesura or syntactical break is placed in between
the second and third stresses of the poem.
Old English Poetry and Prose
● Poetry is known to be formulaic and draw from a common

stock of phrase patterns and have a prescribed description for
every kind of character.
● A unique feature of this kind of poetry is the use of kennings, a
type of figurative language that poets use instead of a noun.
● The earliest prose work was written in this period, which is the
law code of King Aethelberht I of Kent, could be dated 597.
Other prose that was written in this period similarly focused on
laws, wills, and charters.
Middle English Literature
● The term Middle English was first created to mark a period in the
development of the English language.
● Most works of literature in this period are devoted to some
aspect of religion. They are both religious and secular in
nature.
● Examples of these were stories of the saints’ lives, miracle plays,
and sermons, among others.
Middle English Poetry
● centralized on poetry adapted from the Normans

● still written in Old English and focused on linguistic
characteristics rather than aesthetic literary features
● From Old English, they were influenced by the French. Romance
was one of their predominant themes.
● has a set of rules
● made use of alliterative verse and caesura from the Old English
period
Significant Works
● “The Legend of King Arthur” by Thomas Malory

● “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
XXIII. Beowulf’s Fight With Grendel’s Mother (An Excerpt from
Beowulf)
Translated by Lesslie Hall, PhD
Guide Questions
1. Do some research on the early history of the United Kingdom. How
do you think the events of the time influenced the creator(s) of
Beowulf?
2. Based on the text, what traits did the ancient tribes who settled in
the United Kingdom value? Are these values important to modern
life?
3. What is the contribution of Beowulf to English literature?
4. Look for the original transcript of Beowulf.
a. Compare the language of the original to the translation.
b. Compare the language of the translation to modern English.
c. What does this say about the evolution of language?
Read the story carefully and answer the following questions.
Le Morte d’Arthur (Volume I Book III)

Thomas Malory
1. The excerpt narrates King Arthur’s wedding to Guenever. Based on the
text alone, do you think the wedding foreshadows a good and happy
marriage? Why or why not?
2. The excerpt covers the stories and deeds of Sir Tor, Sir Gawaine, and King
Pellinore. In three separate paragraphs and in five to seven sentences
each, answer the following questions about each of the three characters:
a. Based on the story, what kind of person was Sir Tor/Sir Gawaine/King
Pellinore?
b. Do you think his actions were befitting of someone with the title of
Knight of the Round Table (Sir Tor/Sir Gawaine)/King (King Pellinore)?
Why or why not?
3. Do you think the story of Le Morte d’Arthur has lessons or
morals that can be applied to the real world? If so, give
examples. If not, explain why you think so.
4. How do you think Le Morte d’Arthur influenced later English
literature?
Values Integration
How does learning about literature from the Old and

Middle Ages give us a better appreciation of the
evolution of our language?
1. Form groups of three to four.
2. Find a copy of Beowulf in the library or online. Choose one
of the chapters in the story other than chapter 23.
3. Choose five stanzas from the chosen chapter.
4. Translate the five stanzas you chose into modern English.
You can write your translation in verse or in prose; however,
each stanza must be translated separately.
5. Answer the following questions on a separate page:
a. What difficulties did you encounter in translating the text? How
did you overcome those difficulties?
b. Did translating the stanzas give you a better appreciation of the
text? If so, how did it do so? If not, why do you think that is?
c. Do you think the story of Beowulf has lessons or morals that can
be applied to the real world? If so, give examples. If not, explain
why you think so.
d. Why do you think it is important to learn about literature from
the Old and Middle Ages even though they can be hard to
understand?
Assignment
The Monk’s Tale (Excerpt from The Canterbury Tales)

Geoffrey Chaucer
Assignment
Answer the following questions about the excerpt:
1. Do additional research on the English language during the Middle
Ages. Look up the definition of these words, including their modern
counterparts. Find where they appear in the text and explain the
sentence in which they were used.
a. welt f. barme
b. annunciate g. querne
c. to-rente h. caitliffe
d. lorn i. wight
e. wang-tooth j. sterfe
Assignment
2. The excerpt narrates the stories of Lucifer, Adam, Samson, and
Hercules. Research on these four figures (Lucifer, Adam, and
Samson are biblical, while Hercules is from Greek/Roman
mythology).
a. Is the monk’s tale of the four the same as what you found in
your research?
b. What do you think is the common message/link between the
four?
3. Do you think The Canterbury Tales has lessons or morals that
can be applied to the real world? If so, give examples. If not,
explain why you think so.

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Old English and Middle

Sir Lancelot was a doughty-in-battle, but a disloyal

● spans from around 600 to 1200 AD

● St. Bede or Venerable Bede

● Because of the foresight of the various monasteries or abbeys

● Poetry is known to be formulaic and draw from a common

● centralized on poetry adapted from the Normans

● “The Legend of King Arthur” by Thomas Malory

Le Morte d’Arthur (Volume I Book III)

How does learning about literature from the Old and

The Monk’s Tale (Excerpt from The Canterbury Tales)

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