Old and Middle English Literature, anyone?
 

I'm a grad student and I'm currently taking an Old and Middle English Literature course, and I'm curious if there are any meneswhans out there with an interest in it.

We just finished reading King Horn which was an interesting little romance. And we're reading Havelock the Dane for the next. week.

Also, anyone fascinated with the history of English and how it became the language it is today? I'd love to have some people on here to talk to about it.

I'd like to study literature in college <3
I haven't studied anything very old. I recently read this play called 'Entertaining Mr Sloane' by Joe Orton. I liked it. It's from the 60's.
There's also this book called 'Good Night, Mr Tom' and I'm sure it's a classic of children's literature. Hard to explain but it was just right.
Oh, and there's an Indian writer called RK Narayan. He's novel, inventive and I like his writing style.

Well, I would definitely reccommend studying literature in college. It's a fun major. And as long as you choose the right program, you'll be exposed to a lot of fun stuff, and hopefully have a lot of freedom to research what you want.

However, one word of caution, that I received going into my major (and didn't take as seriously as I should), you will reach a point where you begin to hate reading. Or at least not wanting to read as much as you want to.
Like, I hardly read books anymore unless they are for school. I just read fanfics in my time off. I do hope, however, that will die of when I finish my degree.

It's like how when my mom hears I particularly like a dish she makes it over and over to please me until I tire of it LOL.
Or how after playing loads of MMORPGs none of them seem novel enough for you to go there again because you know the whole drill.
Stories get predictable after reading loads... I should know :(

Hwaet...s all this, then! (haha... ha...)

I need to rub up on my Old English- did your instructors run you through a crash course in OE? I'd imagine they did since it's such a focused selection and you're a graduate student.
xD I have to spend the next year re-learning it and learning German for uni applications reasons.

Naturally I'm a fan of Beowulf but considering the preservation/state of other OE epic poetry it's hard to say I'm a fan of Waldere or Judith... Then there are the ecclesiastical writings like Dream of the Rood which is pretty trippy or some of the saints lives (Æthelthryth is one crazy lady!) ... Old English texts are just darn wacky, really. If it's not giant goiters it's talking heads or bog dwelling trolls and dragons. I love that.

Middle English... well it's so much easier to read and so much more of it to read as well. I use a quote from Caxton's Eneydos pretty much anywhere I can because it's quite a nice summation of how I feel when I'm learning how to translate something. I suppose I have to say that is my absolute favorite Middle English piece even if Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is pretty killer.


Off hand what school do you attend (if you don't mind me asking)?
Instruction on the subject of Old English isn't terribly common in the States.

I didn't see this was a thing. I feel like I talked about OE with you before Wingsy. I love me some Anglo-Saxon. I'm rusty for sure, but I still have all my sourcebooks and dictionaries. I took three different classes at the University of Vermont for OE (I wish it counted as a language course) including one just on Beowulf in which we translated most of it ourselves and memorized passages. It was great fun. Our professor even took us all out for our final recitation to the most meadhall like setting (so we could partake in libations and food afterwards of course).

I love the riddles, Christ I (for that Tolkien connection), and The Lament of Deor.

Middle English I wish I studied more, but I do have an ME copy of The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.