Middle Ages English Literature: 449-1500

Middle Ages (449-1500)

• Divided into three periods: Old English (449-1066), Anglo-Norman (1066-1250), and Late Medieval (1250-1500)
• Characterized as a time of cultural diversity and cultural contact, despite being referred to as a period of 'darkness' or 'misty time'

Old English Period (449-1066)

• Saw the arrival of Anglo-Saxons, who pushed Celtic tribes to the North-West of England
• Notable figures: Venerable Bede (Caedmon's Hymn, 670), Caedmon, and Cynewulf
• Important works: Beowulf, "The Seafarer," "The Wanderer," and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Anglo-Norman Period (1066-1250)

• Norman Conquest led to significant changes in the English language, with French loan-words and a heterogeneous vocabulary
• Notable figures: Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower, and William Langland
• Important works: Canterbury Tales, Confessio Amantis, and Piers Plowman

Late Medieval Period (1250-1500)

• English becomes a literary language, with the rise of Middle English dialects and the standardization of the East Midlands variety
• Notable figures: Thomas Hoccleve, Margery Kempe, and Julian of Norwich
• Important works: Canterbury Tales, The Book of Margery Kempe, and Revelations of Divine Love

Literary Features

• Alliterative verse, kenning, and caesura were common poetic devices
• Old English poetry often featured metaphors, while Middle English poetry saw the rise of rhyming couplets
• Epic poetry, such as Beowulf, narrated the deeds of heroes, while elegies, like "The Wanderer," lamented loss and transience

Women in Literature

• Women, especially nuns and those educated in nunneries, could read and write in Latin
• Women heard or listened to texts at home, in church, or through performances, even if they couldn't read themselves
• Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich were notable women authors, with Margery Kempe's book being recorded by scribes and Julian of Norwich writing her own story