Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Anthologies) - Tapa blanda

This selection of literary texts ranges from the earliest writings in the vernacular up to the time of Chaucer. Spanning almost seven centuries, it encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English. Works included are those considered essential for anyone with an interest in early medieval English literature. The texts are arranged broadly by date of manuscript, demonstrating to readers the range of literary writing produced during this time-span. No division has been made between Old and Middle English, allowing readers to view the earlier medieval period as a whole, and to make connections between genres and themes across the centuries. A general introduction gives an outline of the key works and the historical context in which they were written. Full translations are offered for all the Old and earlier Middle English material, along with marginal glosses for the later texts, making them accessible to those who are not language specialists. Explanatory notes and bibliographical information are included for study purposes.

Elaine M. Treharne is Reader in Medieval Literature at the University of Leicester. She is the editor of Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Blackwell Publishing, 2000), the co-editor of The Blackwell Companion to Anglo-Saxon Literature (Blackwell Publishing, 2001) and of Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts and their Heritage (1998), and the author of The Old English Life of St Nicholas with the Old English Life of St Giles (1997). She is also a past editor of the annual Year's Work in English Studies. Duncan Wu is Professor of English Literature at the University of Glasgow. His numerous publications include Wordsworth: An Inner Life (2001), Romanticism: An Anthology (Second Edition, 1998), Romantic Women Poets: An Anthology (1997), Romanticism: A Critical Reader (1995), an edition of William Wordsworth's The Five-Book Prelude (1997) and, with Tom Paulin, of William Hazlitt's The Plain-Speaker: Key Essays (1998), all available from Blackwell Publishing. He collaborated with David Miall in preparing Blackwell Publishing's Romanticism: The CD-ROM and is the editor of a nine-volume edition of The Selected Writings of William Hazlitt (1998).