...1. Old English Poetry Old English poetry was written during A.D. 650 to 1100. Often called Anglo-Saxon literature, the poetry was written in the old English language. The first characteristic is structure of the poetry. In Old English poetry, each line is broken into two sections called verses or half lines. The first verse is called the on verse, and the second is called the off verse. A pause called a caesura is between the on and off verses. The second is alliteration. Because, one of the most predominant characteristics of Old English poetry is the use of alliteration. Alliteration is the repeated use of the same consonant or vowel sound in different words. In Old English poetry, the alliteration was completed on stressed words beginning with the same consonants or on any vowel sound. The third characteristic is Meter and Rhythm. In Old English poetry, five rhythm types were common. The rhythms were represented by "lift," which means stressed syllable, and "drop," which means unstressed syllables. The five patterns are (1) lift, drop, lift, drop; (2) drop, lift, drop, lift; (3) drop, lift, lift, drop; (4) lift, lift, half-lift, drop or lift, lift, drop, half-lift; and (5) lift, half-lift, drop, lift. The last characteristic of poetry in old English is compound. It was useful to poets focusing on creating alliterations and keeping the rhythm and meter of the poem itself consistent. Three types of compounds occur in Old English poetry. In one type of compound, one...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
...History of the English language NAME:Do Huong Giang GROUP: K18A1.1 Question 1:Why do historians of English tend to divide the stages of the language ‘s development into Old,Middle and Early Modern English? What distinguishes these different forms of the language from each other? ANSWER: Historians of English divided the stages of the language ‘s development into Old,Middle and Early Mordern English for some reasons.First,it was based on the Foundation of the UK.Old English was established when the invading Germanic tribles move down from Scandinavia and spread over Center Europe.1066 was the year ended the old English and started the Middle English.William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England.At that time,there was a kind of linguistic language between English and French.The Early Modern English started in the sudden and distint change in pronunciation(The Great Vowel Shift) and the Renaissance of Classical learning. Second,the development of the language connected closely with the English literature.The history of Old English was oral tradition literature.the famous poem was the song of Beowulf.The middle English associated with the printing house of William Caxton,beginning of the long process of standardization of spelling.The Early Modern English with Shakespeare ,a genius of the English language. We can distinguish these different forms of the language from each other by some factors such as spelling,pronunciation,grammar and vocabulary. ...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...Министерство образования и науки Республики Казахстан Кокшетауский государственный университет им. Ш. Уалиханова An Outline of British Literature (from tradition to post modernism) Кокшетау 2011 УДК 802.0 – 5:20 ББК 81:432.1-923 № 39 Рекомендовано к печати кафедрой английского языка и МП КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, Ученым Советом филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, УМС КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова. Рецензенты: Баяндина С.Ж. доктор филологических наук, профессор, декан филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова Батаева Ф.А. кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры «Переводческое дело» Кокшетауского университета им. А. Мырзахметова Кожанова К.Т. преподаватель английского языка кафедры гуманитарного цикла ИПК и ПРО Акмолинской области An Outline of British Literature from tradition to post modernism (on specialties 050119 – “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages”, 050205 – “Foreign Philology” and 050207 – “Translation”): Учебное пособие / Сост. Немченко Н.Ф. – Кокшетау: Типография КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, 2010 – 170 с. ISBN 9965-19-350-9 Пособие представляет собой краткие очерки, характеризующие английскую литературу Великобритании, ее основные направления и тенденции. Все известные направления в литературе иллюстрированы примерами жизни и творчества авторов, вошедших в мировую литературу благодаря...
Words: 82733 - Pages: 331
...A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LITERARY (STANDARD) LANGUAGE ( From: I.R.Galperin. Stylistics. Moscow: Higher School, 1977. pp. 41-57) Up till now we have done little more than mention the literary (standard) language, which is one of the most important notions in stylistics and general linguistics. It is now necessary to elucidate this linguistic notion by going a little deeper into what constitutes the concept and to trace the stages in the development of the English standard language. This is necessary in order to avoid occasional confusion of terms differently used in works on the history, literature and style of the English language. Confusion between the terms "literary language" and "language of literature" is frequently to be met. Literary language is a historical category. It exists as a variety of the national language.' "It must be remembered," said A. M. Gorki, "that language is the creation of the people. The division of the language into literary and vernacular only means that there are, as it were, a rough unpolished tongue and one wrought by men-of-letters."1 The literary language is that elaborated form (variety) of the national language which obeys definite morphological, phonetic, syntactical, lexical, phraseological and stylistic norms2 recognized as standard and therefore acceptable in all kinds and types of discourse. It allows modifications but within the frame work of the system of established norms. It casts out some...
Words: 8269 - Pages: 34
...Effects of the Vernacular Language Candace Rayford Aiu Online- Huma215-1204-20 September 2012 Abstract The Vernacular Language- simply defined as the language spoken in the streets (Sayre, 2010). This is the language that will be heard spoken amongst the common people, and used to define and identify the groups of people. The Vernacular Language impacted and changed the cultures during the early centuries. There are several factors that contribute and are responsible for the rise and spread of the vernacular language. A few of the main contributors that will be discussed in the following reading are the demand of spreading religion, demand of education, and the need of a commonly spoken language for the literature to be produced in to be available to all. The first ones to begin the practice of the vernacular language within their works of literacy were the French. France begin this in the twelfth century, a year later at the beginning of the 14th century, vernacular language had spread to parts of Europe, eventually taking over Europe. Gradually as this language made its way through the regions, writers began to expand their works to a bigger audience by writing in the vernacular. One of the greatest writers to use the vernacular language in their work was the poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). Normally reading and writing were skills that only a small number of people possessed. The literacy in Latin was generally limited to the people of the upper class and members...
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE DURING THE DARK AGES ABSTRACT This period extends from about 450 to 1066 A.D. The sources of Old English literature, as we know it, are rooted in their Teutonic origins and were evolved by the spirit that drove the times. In addition to reflecting the violence of the age, however, Old English literature also provides insight into the hearts and souls of a culture that had a strong attachment to nature; where loyalty and honor were more important than life. And for a culture that did not believe in the immortality of the human soul. Beowulf is the oldest and longest known poem of the Old English period. The passionate struggle between Beowulf and the sea monster Grendel is a reflection of the struggle between man and the forces of nature. INTRODUCTION The Medieval Times encompass one of the most turbulent periods in the History of England and scatter the Medieval History books and other historical documents. Middle Ages embraced two quite different periods of literary history, the Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) and the Middle English, sharply divided from each other by the Norman duke William´s conquest of the island in 1066. Both English culture and the English language changed radically in the years following this event, and English literature was given a new spirit. (The Norton Anthology of English Literature) Old English was the West Germanic language spoken in the area now known as England between the 5th and 11th centuries. Anglo-Saxon...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
...1. Who used the term 'Old English' for the first time ? 2. What is the name of Bede's history book ? 3. What is the meaning of the Anglo-Saxon word 'scop" ? 4. What is the meaning of Anglo-Saxon word 'Wyrd' ? 5. What is the name of the only Anglo-Saxon historian ? 6. Name the Germanic tribes which formed the Anglo-Saxon race ? 7. Name the manuscripts in which Old English poems are found ? 8. Who is the author of Sermo Lupi ad Anglos ? 9. Who is the author of Lives of the Saints ? 10. Name two Anglo Saxon Christian poets ? 11. Name the 'earliest extant' Anglo-Saxon poem ? 12. When was Beowulf written ? 13. Mention one Christian element in Beowulf ? 14. Refer to one Pagan element in Beowulf ? 15. What is the name of the pleasure hall in Beowulf ? 16. What is the name of Hrothgar's wife ?(the queen) 17. Name the sword of Beowulf with which he killed Grendel ? 18. Which Anglo-Saxon poem records the fight between the English and Danes ? 19. When did the Battle of Maldon take place ? 20. Who is the author of Death Song ? 21. Who is the author of the poem Brut ? how many lines are there in this poem ? 22. Name two battles referred to in the Anglo-Saxon poems ? 23. What is the name of the monster Beowulf killed ? 24. What is the name of Beowulf's father ? 25. What is the name of the king Beowulf helped ? 26. Name two Anglo-Saxon Elegies ? 27. Name the Anglo-Saxon poem written in dream vision ? 28. Who is the author of Beowulf ? 29. When was Thomas...
Words: 1688 - Pages: 7
...LINGUISTIC SITUATION IN OLD ENGLISH AND MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD……………………………………………………………..5 1.1 THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTHARK……………………………………5 1.1.1 THE RUNIC ALPHABET AS AN OLD GERMANIC WRITING TRADITION……………………………………………………………………6 1.1.2 OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE PERIOD OF ANGLO-SAXON ETHNIC EXTENSION…………………………………………………………7 1.2 LINGUISTIC SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE ENGLISH………………..11 1.2.1 LINGUISTIC SITUATION IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND AFTER THE NORMAN CONQUEST……………………………………………….……….11 1.2.2 DIALECTAL DIVERSITY IN THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD.…...13 1.3 THE MIDDLE ENGLISH CORPUS……………………………………….15 1.3.1 GEOFFREY CHAUCER AND HIS LENDING SUPPORT OF THE LONDON STANDARD’S DIFFUSION……………………………………….17 1.3.2 THE ROLE OF THE PRINTING IN THE FORMATION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE………………………………………………….…….19 1.3.3 PRINCIPAL MIDDLE ENGLISH WRITTEN RECORDS AS A REFLECTION OF ONGOING CHANGES IN STANDARDIZATION………25 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….…………....28 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….30 APPENDIX 1……………………………………………………………………33 INTODUCTION linguistic history english language The English language has had a remarkable history. When we first catch it in historical records, it is a language of none-too-civilized tribes on the continent of Europe along the North Sea. From those murky and undistinguished beginnings, English has become the most widespread language in the world, used by more peoples for more purposes than any language on Earth. The early part of the Modern English saw the establishment...
Words: 9916 - Pages: 40
...English literature - English Literature is divided into 4 Main Periods; Anglo-Saxon Literature, Medieval Literature, Renaissance Literature and Modern Literature Old English Literature or Anglo-Saxon Literature Encompasses literature written in Old English in Anglo-Saxon England in the period after the settlement of the Saxons and other Germanic tribes in England after the withdrawal of the Romans and “ending soon after the Norman Conquest” in 1066. Is the term applied to the English speaking inhabitants of Britain from around the middle of the fifth century until the time of Norman Conquest, when Angelo-Saxon line of English kings came to an end. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle has also proven significant for historical study, preserving a chronology of early English history. The lyric and epic poetry they wrote told of the hardships of survival and the importance of courage in performing heroic deeds. English Literature during the Medieval Period Is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages. The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane, touching all points in-between. Works of literature are often grouped by place of origin, language, and genre. Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe. ...
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...How did old English differ from modern English ? Old English was the language spoken in what is now England from around the 5th – 11th centuries and is the origin of modern English. Back then it was called Englisc and the people who spoke were the Anglo-Saxons; Old English is also known as Anglo-Saxon. Old English is essentially the first recorded version of English and it is the forebear of the language we speak today. Although a modern English speaker would likely have great difficulty in understanding written or spoken Old English, about half the words we use today are derived from Old English. Who Spoke Old English? At the beginning of the 5th Century, in what is now England, the local people were speaking Celtic while the government and officialdom spoke Latin, the language of the occupying Roman force. Britain, however, was coming under increasing attack from raiding parties out of Northern Europe.It was at this point that the Romans left (to defend other parts of the Roman Empire) and the country was essentially undefended. The raiding parties became more frequent and as they pushed further inland and then began to settle in the country, they pushed the Celtic speakers into the wilds of what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. These raiders and then occupiers were known as Anglo-Saxons. The Angles came from Englalandand spoke Englisc. The language they used came from back home and it took over completely from Celtic and Latin in much the same way that English settlers several...
Words: 584 - Pages: 3
...H. Hawkins English IV Room G113 Welcome to English IV! English IV is designed to give you the opportunity to explore the history of British culture through reading informational texts and literature including novels, poetry, essays, and plays. We will look at works from the following periods in Western European History: Old English and Middle English periods The Renaissance The Enlightenment and Romantic periods The Victorian Age Post Modern period In addition to literature and grammar, you will complete multiple writing assignments, study grammar and vocabulary, and create projects that will count as major assignments. Expectations You will be expected to be an integral part of the classroom through active participation in class discussions, activities, and through completion of your assignments. Our class can only be as good as our weakest link. So hopefully you will be a strong contributor to our class and in turn you will learn a lot and have fun in the process. Rules Be Prepared o You come prepared with all materials and homework daily Be Polite Be Prompt o You must be in your seat working when the bell rings or else you will be marked tardy Follow all school rules These rules cover everything and they will be discussed in greater detail on the first day of class. *Remember that the bell does NOT dismiss you. You should not begin packing your belongings until I have dismissed you after the bell. Bathroom Policy You will...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...Characteristics of Old and Middle English Literature In many works from the Old English period, which was approximately between 600-1100, there were many distinguishing characteristics, which included heroism, a strict class system, religion, and teachings of moral behavior. Some different characteristics of Old English literature, which is a language derived from Old German, include a strong belief in fate in a very poetry dominated era. Many of the poems are called elegies of that time, which were sorrowful poems, such as “The Wanderer.” Another large characteristic of Old English literature is that of praising or honoring heroes of any kind, especially ones that prevail in battle. Some of these include the Cross from, “Dream of the Rood,” Beowulf from Beowulf, the lost hero in “The Wanderer,” Judith from “Judith,” and the biggest hero who is included in almost all poems and pieces of Old English literature, Christ. Many of these works express much religious faith having to do with Christianity. The Anglo-Saxon people also had a very strict class system. Going along with the faith they believed in the Great Chain of Being, which said that when God made the entire world each creature was put in their position. God made a monarchy and put the members of that high status position there for a reason and did the same for a person who was a slave, God made them that and put them in that position in society. The people on the top of the chain are supposed to help the others...
Words: 1442 - Pages: 6
...The following commentary is cut/pasted with gratitude from the Norton Anthology of English Literature and may be found online at: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/topic_4/welcome.htm | From our point of view, it is appropriate to think of the language and literature of Anglo-Saxon England as "Old English," because the language is the remote ancestor of the English spoken today. Yet for the inhabitants of Anglo-Saxon England, the language was, of course, not old, and did not come to be referred to generally as "English" until fairly late in the period. The earliest reference given in the Oxford English Dictionary is 890. Bede's Latin Ecclesiastical History of the English People refers collectively to the people as gens Anglorum, which in the vernacular translation becomes angel-cynne (English-race). However, in Bede's time the England of today was divided into a number of petty kingdoms. Language, the Roman Church, and monastic institutions lent these kingdoms a certain cultural identity, but a political identity began to emerge only during the ninth century in response to the Danish invasions, and through King Alfred's efforts to revive learning and to make Latin religious and historical works, such as Bede's History, available in vernacular translations.Most of the surviving vernacular poetry of Anglo-Saxon England consists of free translations or adaptations of Latin saints' lives and books of the Bible, such as Genesis, Exodus, and Daniel. But with...
Words: 1677 - Pages: 7
...Vernacular language is defined as the standard native language of a country or locality. Latin is a vernacular language that had an large impact on the medieval way of life. The Roman Empire spoke Latin and this language became a prominent part of the culture until the 1200 A.D. For years and years to come Latin language dominated the western world and were every the Roman Empire ruled this was the primary language that was used. When the Roman Empire began to fall the Latin language faded away and the countries began to use their vernacular language. These languages would one day be known as Portuguese, French, Spanish, Italian, and etc. The vernacular languages would also be considered as the large family of contemporary “Romance” languages (Matthews, 2011). Before the twelfth century, Latin was the major language that was used by writers. The developments of Latin were influenced by other native languages which included Celtic languages, Greek, and Etruscan (University of Calgary, 1996). Latin was continuously developed because there were significant differences in each period. These differences included those in the literary written language, and also in the differences in the spoken language of the educated and the less educated populace. Between 500 – 100 after the Empire, the peninsula was also using the vernacular language in the form of popular celebrations of religious festivals, improvisational troupes of actors, story-tellers, etc (Matthews...
Words: 390 - Pages: 2
...The Development of English Throughout time the English language has been subject to an ever-changing evolutionary process, adjusting and adopting to its geographical circumstances, cultural influences and niches. The English language has undergone a series of transitional changes since its origins dating back to c.400 A.D. whilst Britain was under occupation by hosts of Germanic tribes. Detailed throughout the literature that still exists in our modern world, it is possible to trace links between the English language and its development throughout different cultures and historical time periods. The study of the development of the English language has been used to represent the specific ideals and notions that pertain to particular cultures throughout history. Anglo-Saxon poetry express its cultural identity and values that underpin Anglo Saxon society, through ancient texts such as Beowulf exploring notions of heroism and servitude. Middle English literature such as The Millers Tale, unmasks the inner feudal system that deciphers the hierarchal structure within Middle England. The Holkam bible through both visual representation and literature highlights the Biblical understanding at the time and cultural barriers that were associated. The Miller’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer is an example of Middle English poetry that represents the societal structure of the time through language. The Miller’s Tale expresses the hierarchal structure in Middle England through denoting each individual...
Words: 2176 - Pages: 9
