In the fourteenth century, there were two ways of writing poetry in English. Chaucer's rhyming, syllable-counting iambic pentameter exemplifies one tradition. This course makes a survey of the other tradition, known today as alliterative poetry. Among the poems we will read are tales of King Arthur’s court, the story of a resurrected corpse discovered in London, and a wild allegorical dream vision starring such characters as Bribery and Truth. We ask how this poetry is formally organized and why medieval English writers chose to use it in a variety of literary genres. No prior knowledge of Middle English required.

Click here for the syllabus.

All assigned readings not found in required course texts and not provided with an external link on the syllabus can be found by clicking Files to the left of your screen.

Middle English Dictionary Online.