Introduction To The History of English Literature (Pengantar Sejarah Kesusasteraan Inggris)

Introduction to the History of English Literature
(Pengantar Sejarah Kesusasteraan Inggris)

 BACKGROUND
 Germanic settlement: Jutes, Angles, Saxon known
as the ‘Anglo-Saxon invasion’
 Christianity enters and spread out in England
Monastery functions as centers of knowledge/science
Literature started to be written
 Poetry
The Poetry in the Old English can be divided into two
categories;
1. Literature that are brought by the Germanic from
their former landspagan
2. Literature that are made in the new land
(England)after settlementstrong influence of
christianity
BEOWULF
- 7th century
- First English Epic: 3000
lines
*Epic: A poem that consist
of a story/adventure of a
heroic/brave man
- Author unknown
- Bravery, loyalty, survival,
etc
 Beowulf:
Tells about Hrothgar, King of
Danes and about a brave young
man, Beowulf who helps him.
Hrothgar is in trouble when a
terrible creature, Grendel
which lives in a lake comes to
Heorat and eats Hrothgar’s
men. Beowulf manages to kill
the creature and also the
mother who then seeks
revenge. Later in the story
Beowulf tries to defend his
people by fighting a fire-
breathing creature. He is badly
wounded and later dies. The
poem ends with a sorrowful
description of Beowulf’s
funeral fire.
Alegdon tha tomiddes maerne theoden
Haeleth hiofende hlaford leofne
Ongunnon tha on beorge bael-fyra maest
The sorrowing soldiers then laid the glorious prince,

their dead lord, in the middle. Then on the hill the war
men began to light the greatest funeral fires.
 Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the
history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript
of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century
during the reign of Alfred the Great.
- Multiple copies were made of that original which
were distributed to monasteries across England.
- The Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle is shorter than
Beowulf.
- The Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle shows the
Germanic sympathetic
expression towards war,
harshness and beauty of
the ocean, life as an
outsider.
- The battle of Maldon & the battle of Brunanburgh
patriotic & heroic either in winning or losing
- The Seafarer monolog on the harshness in the sea
- The Ruin tells about the ruins of a city
- Deor a poem about a loyal minstrel as an outsider
 The rest of the old english poems have strong
influence of christianity;
 Cadmon: Genesis, Exodus
 Cynewulf: The Christ, Juliana, the fates of the
apostles
* Prose started to appear in forms of religious essays,

Latin translation
 BACKGROUND
- 1150-1400
- Norman Conquest: William, Duke
of Norman invaded England in
1066
- The English Language is later on
influenced by the French: the
Anglo-Norman dialect
- The literature are much
influenced by the French
literature and history/culture
Poetry
• BALLAD:
• oral literature that tells
stories about the lower
class
-  the ballads of Robin
Hood: a depiction of the
lower class society in
England
 Romance
- Came/influence from the French Literature
- Love, knights, religion
- A lot of the romances are translated from the French;
- Chanson de Roland
- Alexander (from the Greek/Rome)
- King Arthur
 Geoffrey Chaucer
Literary at its highest point
in this time is marked by
Chaucer.
- Troilus and Criseyde

- Canterbury Tales: realism,
humor, depiction of types
of people in the society at
that time
- While most poems at that
time depicts noble people,
canterbury tales contains
ordinary/common people.
 Prose
- John Wycliff : “ Voyage and Travail of sir John
Maundeville shows quality in prosaic language.
• Drama
- Drama started to appear in the middle age as a media
to spread religious missions. Religious stories are first
performed in the church.
Miracles: The life of the Saints
Mysteries: Themes from the bible
 Transition from the middle age to the Elizabethan
 Development from the middle age language to the modern
language
- Poetry: Blank Verse (structured)

- Prose: Morte d’Arthur (about Arthur and his knights)—Sir
Thomas Malory
- Drama: Morality Play (moral, not religious), Interlude
(comedy for the upper class)
-  All these new genres are notable because they inspire
figures in the next era such as Shakespeare, Tennyson

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How is Old English poetry categorized?

What is the first English epic poem and what is it about?

Introduction to the History of English Literature

(Pengantar Sejarah Kesusasteraan Inggris)

The sorrowing soldiers then laid the glorious prince,

* Prose started to appear in forms of religious essays,

- Troilus and Criseyde

- Poetry: Blank Verse (structured)

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