This review of the critical reception of Old English literature from 1900 to the present moves beyond a focus on individual literary texts so as to survey the different schools, methods, and assumptions that have shaped the discipline.
Examines the notable works and authors from the period, including
Beowulf
, the Venerable Bede, heroic poems, and devotional literature
Reinforces key perspectives with excerpts from ten critical studies
Addresses questions of medieval literacy, textuality, and orality, as well as style, gender, genre, and theme
Embraces the interdisciplinary nature of the field with reference to historical studies, religious studies, anthropology, art history, and more