Middle English literature (1066–1500)
Summary
TLDRMiddle English literature, spanning from 1066 to 1500, saw a shift from Anglo-Saxon to French influence post-Norman conquest. It evolved into Middle English with regional dialects, gaining literary prominence through works like 'Piers Plowman' and 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.' Religious texts like Wyclif's Bible and 'Revelations of Divine Love' by Julian of Norwich contributed to its legitimacy, alongside secular works like Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales.' The rise of the Chancery standard and the printing press eventually standardized the language.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The Norman Conquest in 1066 led to French becoming the dominant language in courts, parliament, and polite society.
- 📜 Anglo-Saxon language and literature diminished in prominence as Middle English evolved under the influence of Anglo-Norman.
- 🕊️ Religious literature remained popular, with works like 'The Life of Saint Audrey Edmonds' being adapted and translated.
- 🏰📚 Lawman's 'Brut' was a significant work that adapted Norman French to produce the first English-language historical narrative.
- 📖 Wyclif's Bible translations were instrumental in establishing English as a literary language and inspired a pre-Reformation movement.
- 🔱 The genre of romances, such as 'King Horn' and 'Havelock the Dane', appeared in English from the 13th century, based on Anglo-Norman originals.
- 🎭 Major English writers like William Langland, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the 'Pearl' poet emerged in the 14th century, contributing significantly to Middle English literature.
- 📝 'Piers Plowman' by Langland is an allegorical narrative poem notable for its unrhymed alliterative verse.
- 🏵️ 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' is a late 14th-century alliterative romance that explores themes of honor and chivalry.
- 🌐 Middle English literature was characterized by a diversity of dialects, reflecting the regional, historical, and cultural backgrounds of writers.
- 📚🖨️ Middle English lasted until the 1470s when the Chancery Standard and the printing press helped standardize the English language.
Q & A
What was the impact of the Norman Conquest on the English language and literature?
-The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 led to the decline of the Anglo-Saxon language in written form. French became the standard language of courts, parliament, and polite society, while the Norman dialects mingled with the native language, leading to the development of Anglo-Norman and Middle English.
How did Middle English literature evolve from Anglo-Saxon literature?
-Middle English evolved from Anglo-Saxon as the political power shifted, and West Saxon literary language lost its dominance. The literature of this period was written in various dialects corresponding to the regions, history, culture, and background of individual writers.
What was the role of religious literature in Middle English literature?
-Religious literature continued to be popular during the Middle English period. Works like the life of Saint Audrey and Bible translations, including Wyclif's Bible, helped to establish English as a literary language.
Who was Lawman, and what is his significance in Middle English literature?
-Lawman was a poet who adapted Norman French to produce the first English-language work presenting the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. His work marked a significant step in the development of English historiography since the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
What is Wyclif's Bible, and why is it important?
-Wyclif's Bible refers to a group of Bible translations into Middle English made under the direction of John Wycliffe between 1382 and 1395. These translations were instrumental in the pre-Reformation movement that questioned the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and helped to establish English as a literary language.
What are some examples of Middle English romances?
-Middle English romances include works like 'King Horn' and 'Havelock the Dane,' which were based on Anglo-Norman originals. These romances began appearing in English from the 13th century.
Who were the major writers of Middle English literature in the 14th century?
-Major writers of Middle English literature in the 14th century included William Langland, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the Pearl Poet, known for works such as 'Piers Plowman' and 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.'
What is 'Piers Plowman' and why is it significant?
-'Piers Plowman' is a Middle English allegorical narrative poem written by William Langland, significant for its use of unrhymed alliterative verse and its exploration of social, moral, and religious themes.
How does the language of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' differ from that of Geoffrey Chaucer's works?
-The language of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' is from the Midlands and contains many dialect words, often of Scandinavian origin, which is markedly different from the London-based English dialect used by Chaucer.
What led to the decline of Middle English and the rise of Modern English?
-Middle English declined with the widespread adoption of the Chancery Standard, a London-based form of English, and the standardization of the language through the printing press in the late 15th century.
Who was John Gower, and how does his work illustrate the multilingual nature of 14th-century English literature?
-John Gower was a contemporary of William Langland and a personal friend of Chaucer. His major works, 'Vox Clamantis,' 'Speculum Meditantis,' and 'Confessio Amantis,' were written in Anglo-Norman, Latin, and Middle English respectively, showcasing the multilingual literary landscape of the time.
What is the significance of 'The Book of Margery Kempe' in the context of English literature?
-Julian of Norwich's 'Revelations of Divine Love' is believed to be the first published book written by a woman in the English language, marking a significant milestone for women's voices in English literature.
Why is 'Le Morte d'Arthur' by Sir Thomas Malory important?
-'Le Morte d'Arthur' is a compilation of Arthurian romances and was one of the earliest books printed in England. It was influential in reviving interest in the Arthurian legends and is considered a major work of the 15th century.
Outlines
📜 Middle English Literature: 1066 to 1500
This paragraph discusses the evolution of Middle English literature from 1066 to 1500. After the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon language became less common as French dominated courts and polite society. Middle English developed from various dialects influenced by regional history and culture. Religious literature remained popular, and notable works like the life of Saint Audrey and Lawman's Brute adapted Norman French. The first English-language historiography since the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was produced. Middle English Bible translations, particularly Wyclif's Bible, played a significant role in establishing English as a literary language and inspired a pre-Reformation movement. Romances like King Horn and Havelock appeared in English from the 13th century, with major works like William Langland's Piers Plowman and the alliterative romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight emerging in the 14th century. The influence of French is evident, but there are also many dialect words of Scandinavian origin, especially in northwest England. Middle English continued until the 1470s when the Chancery Standard and the printing press began to standardize the language.
📚 Key Works and Authors of Middle English Literature
The second paragraph focuses on significant works and authors of Middle English literature. It mentions Julian of Norwich's 'Revelations of Divine Love' as the first published book by a woman in English, dating back to 1393. A major work from the 15th century is Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur,' a compilation of Arthurian romances that was printed by Caxton in 1485 and was influential in reviving interest in the Arthurian legends. The paragraph also highlights the multilingual nature of literature in the 14th century, exemplified by John Gower, who wrote in Anglo-Norman, Latin, and Middle English, focusing on moral and political themes. Religious works from the 14th century, such as those by Julian of Norwich, are also noted.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Middle English
💡Norman Conquest
💡Anglo-Norman
💡West Saxon
💡Wyclif's Bible
💡Allegory
💡Arthurian Legends
💡Alliterative Verse
💡Chancery Standard
💡Multilingual Literature
💡Chaucerian
Highlights
Middle English literature spanned from 1066 to 1500, influenced by the Norman Conquest.
Anglo-Saxon language became less common as French dominated courts and society.
Anglo-Norman emerged as the language of the ruling class.
Middle English developed from various regional dialects.
Religious literature remained popular during this period.
The Life of Saint Audrey is an example of religious literature from the period.
Lawman's Brut was the first English-language work on King Arthur's legends.
Wyclif's Bible translations were instrumental in establishing English as a literary language.
Wyclif's Bible inspired a pre-Reformation movement against the Roman Catholic Church.
Romance genre appeared in English with works like King Horn and Havelock the Dane.
Major English writers emerged in the 14th century, including William Langland and Geoffrey Chaucer.
Piers Plowman is an allegorical narrative poem by William Langland.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a notable Arthurian story from the late 14th century.
The English dialect of Sir Gawain differs from that of London-based Chaucer.
Middle English period ended in the 1470s with the establishment of the Chancery standard.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by pilgrims on a journey.
John Gower wrote major works in Anglo-Norman, Latin, and Middle English.
Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love is the first published book by a woman in English.
Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Arthur was an influential compilation of Arthurian romances.
Transcripts
Middle English literature 1066 to 1500
after the Norman conquest of England in
1066 the written form of the anglo-saxon
language became less common under the
influence of the new aristocracy French
became the standard language of Courts
Parliament and polite society as the
invaders integrated their language and
literature mingled with that of the
natives and the norman dialects of the
ruling classes became anglo-norman from
then until the 12th century Anglo Saxon
underwent a gradual transition into
middle English political power was no
longer in English hands so that the West
Saxon literary language had no more
influence than any other dialect and
middle English literature was written in
the many dialects that corresponded to
the region history culture and
background of individual writers in this
period religious literature continued to
enjoy popularity and hey geographies
were written adapted and translated for
example the life of Saint Audrey Edmonds
circa 1062 circa 1126
at the end of the 12th century lawman in
brute adapted the Norman French of waste
to produce the first english-language
work to present the legends of King
Arthur and the knights of the round
table it was also the first
historiography written in English since
the anglo-saxon chronicle Middle English
Bible translations notably Wyclef's
Bible helped to establish English as a
literary language Wyclef's bible is the
name now given to a group of Bible
translations into Middle English that
were made under the direction off or at
the instigation of John Wycliffe they
appeared between about 1382 and 1395
these Bible translations were the chief
inspiration and cause of the large
movement a pre-reformation movement that
rejected many of the teachings of the
Roman Catholic Church another literary
genre that of romances appears in
English from the 13th century with King
horn and Havelock the Dane based on
anglo-norman originals such as
manse of horn circa 1170 but it was in
the 14th century that major writers in
English first appeared these were
William Langland Geoffrey Chaucer and
the so called purl poet whose most
famous work is Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight Langlands Piers Plowman written
circa 1362 87 or Vizio will Elmi depetro
Plowman williams vision of Piers Plowman
is a middle english allegorical
narrative poem written in unrhymed
alliterative verse so Gawain and the
Green Knight is a late 14th century
Middle English alliterative romance it
is one of the better-known Arthurian
stories of an established type known as
the beheading game developing from Welsh
Irish and English tradition Sir Gawain
highlights the importance of honor and
chivalry preserved in the same
manuscript with Sir Gawain were three
other poems now generally accepted as
the work of the same author including an
intricate elegiac poem pearl the English
dialect of these poems from the Midlands
is markedly different from that of the
london-based Chaucer and though
influenced by French in the scenes at
court in Sir Gawain there are in the
poems also many dialect words often of
Scandinavian origin that belonged to
northwest England Middle English lasted
until the fourteen 70s when the Chancery
standard a london-based form of English
became widespread and the printing press
started to standardize the language
Chaucer is best known today for the
canterbury tales this is a collection of
stories written in middle english mostly
in verse although some are in prose that
are presented as part of a storytelling
contest by a group of pilgrims as they
travel together from Southwark to the
shrine of st. thomas becket at
Canterbury Cathedral or Sir is a
significant figure in the development of
the legitimacy of the vernacular Middle
English at a time when the dominant
literary languages in England were still
French and Latin at this time literature
in England was being written in various
languages including Latin Norman French
and English the multilingual nature of
the
for literature in the 14th century is
illustrated by the example of John Gower
circa 1332 1408 a contemporary of
William Langland and a personal friend
of Chaucer Gower is remembered primarily
for three major works the Mia Wilde Alam
Vox Clementis and confess EOWA Montes
three long poems written in anglo-norman
Latin and Middle English respectively
which are united by common moral and
political themes significant religious
works were also created in the 14th
century including those of Julian of
Norwich circa 1342 to circa 1416 and
Richard role
Julian's revelations of divine love
about 1393 is believed to be the first
published book written by a woman in the
English language a major work from the
15th century is lamort Arthur by Sir
Thomas Malory which was printed by
Caxton in 1485 this is a compilation of
some French and English Arthurian
romances and was among the earliest
books printed in England it was popular
and influential in the later revival of
interest in the Arthurian legends thank
you
[Music]
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