Old English and Middle English Poetry

Originally published in 1977, Old English and Middle English Poetry examines the conditions out of which English poetry grew and argues that the functions that it was assigned are historically integral to an informed understanding of the nature of poetry.

Derek Pearsall

General Editor's Preface Introduction Abbreviations 1. Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Tradition 2. Anglo-Saxon Religious Poems 3. Late Old English Poetry and the Transition 4. Poetry in the Early Middle English Period 5. Some Fourteenth-Century Books and Writers 6. Alliterative Poetry 7. Court Poetry 8. The Close of the Middle Ages 9. Conclusion Appendix 1: Technical Terms, Mainly Metrical Appendix 2: Chronological Table Notes Index