Exercises

1. The following extracts show the development of English poetry from Old English to Chaucerian times. Trace the changes in meter (scansion, rhyme, and stanza-formation), alliteration, and style. Are there any traces of refinements such as melody and vowel-music?

(1) Swá íú wætres thrym When of old the water’s mass

Ealne middan-geard, All mid-earth,

Mére-flód, theáhte When the sea-flood covered

Eorthan ymb-hwyrft, The earth’s circumference,

Thá [`s]e æthela wong Then that noble plain

Æg-hwæs án-súnd In everything entire

With yth-fare Against the billowy course

Gehealden stód, Stood preserved,

Hreóhra wæga Of the rough waves

Eádig unwemmed, Happy, inviolate,

Thurh áest Godes; Through favour of God.

Bídeth swá geblówen It shall abide thus in bloom,

Oth bæles cyme Until the coming of the funeral fire

Dryhtnes dómes. Of the Lord’s judgment.

The Phœnix, 900

(2) And ich isæh thæ vthen And I saw the waves

I there sæ driuen; In the sea drive;

And the leo i than ulode And the lion in the flood

Iwende with me seolue. Went with myself.

Tha wit I sæ comen, When we two came in the sea,

Tha vthen me hire binomen. The waves took her from me;

Com ther an fisc lithe, But there came swimming a fish;

And fereden me to londe. And brought me to land.

Tha wes ich al wet, Then was I all wet

And weri of soryen, and seoc. And weary from sorrow, and sick.

Tha gon ich iwakien When I gan wake

Swithe ich gon to quakien. Greatly I gan quake.

Layamon, Brut, 1200

(3) Ich am eldre þan ich wes. a winter and ek on lore.

Ich welde more þan ich dude. my wyt auhte beo more.

Wel longe ich habbe child ibe[`s]. a werke and eke on dede.

Þah ich beo of wynter old. to yong ich am on rede.

Vnneð lif ich habbe ilad. and yet me þinkþ ich lede.

Hwenne ich me biþenche. ful sore ich me adrede.

Mest al þat ich habbe idon. is idelnesse and chilce.

Wel late ich habbe me bi-þouht. bute god do me mylce.

Veole idel word ich habbe ispeke. seoþþe ich speke cuþe.

And feole yonge deden ido. þat me of-þincheþ nuþe.

Moral Ode, 1250

(4) Herknet to me, gode men,

Wiues, maydnes, and alle men,

Of a tale that ich you wile telle

Wo so it wile here, and ther to duelle

The talk is of Hauelok i-maked;

Wil he was litel he yede ful naked;

Havelok was a ful god gome,

He was ful god in eueri trome,

He was the wicteste man at nede

That thurte riden on ani stede

That ye mouen nou y-here,

And the tale ye mowen y-lere.

At the beginning of vre tale

Fille me a cuppe of ful god ale.

Havelock the Dane, 1300

(5) Byteuene Mershe & Aueril

When spray biginneþ to springe,

Þe lutel foul haþ hire wyl

On hyre lud to synge;

Ich libbe in louelonginge

For semlokest of alle þynge,

He may me blisse bringe,

Icham in hire baundoun.

An hendy hap ichabbe yhent

Ichot from heuene it is me sent

From alle wymmen mi loue is lent

& lyht on Alysoun.

Alysoun, 1300

(6) In Nauerne be [gh]unde the see In Avergne beyond the sea

In Venyse a gode cyte, In Venice a good city

Duellyde a prest of Ynglonde, Dwelled a priest of England,

And was auaunsede, y understonde. And was advanced I understand.

Every [gh]ere at the florysyngge Every year at the flourishing

When the vynys shulde spryngge When the vines should spring

A tempest that tyme began to falle A tempest then began to fall

And fordede here vynys alle; And ruined all their vines.

Every [gh]ere withouten fayle Every year without fail

And fordyde here grete trauayle. And ruined their great labour.

Therfor the folk were alle sory Therefore the folk were all sorry

Thurghe the cyte comunly: Through the city commonly.

Thys prest seyde, y shal [gh]ou telle This priest said, “I shall you tell

What shall best thys tempest felle; What shall best this tempest fell;

On Satyrday shal [gh]e ryngge noun On Saturday shall ye ring noon

And late ne longer ne werke be doun. And let no longer work be done.”

Handlyng Synne, 1350

(7) Ther faure citees wern set, nov is a see called,

That ay is drouy and dym and ded in hit kynde,

Blo blubrande and blak, vnblythe to ne[gh]e

As a stynkande stanc that stryed synne

That euer of synne and of smach, smart is to fele;

Forthy the derk dede see hit is demed ever more,

For hit dede[gh] of dethe duren there [gh]et.

For hit is brod and bothemle[gh] and bitter as the galle,

And no[gh]t may lenge in that lake that any lyf bere[gh],

And all the coste[gh] of kynde hit combre[gh] vchone

For lay ther-on a lump of led and hit on loft flete[gh],

And folde ther-on a ly[gh]t fyther and hit to founs synkke[gh],

And ther water may walter to wete any erthe,

Shal neuer grene ther-on growe, gresse ne wod nawther.

Cleannesse, 1350

2. Account for the poor quality of English prose during this period.

3. What were the effects of the Norman Conquest upon English literature?

4. Describe the main features of the romance.