Old English Poems and Riddles - Softcover

Chris McCully

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857549252 ISBN 13: 9781857549256

Publisher: Fyfield Books, 2008

Synopsis

Chris McCully brings Old English poetry to life with exhilarating immediacy. Here is the earliest surviving English poem, ‘Caedmon’s Hymn’, as well as one of the last poems to be written in the classical Old English alliterative style; some of the great elegies and epics, and a generous selection from ‘Beowulf’. Other dimensions of Anglo-Saxon culture are represented in religious meditations, riddles, charms and rhythmical prose, all translated into metrical half-lines that capture the subtlety and pace of the originals.
The introduction explores the fascination this poetry has held for Chris McCully over many years, as a poet and a scholar. The translations are referenced to manuscripts and critical editions, making them a valuable resource for students and for all those keen to read more of the earliest English poetry. A bibliography and reading list, with a note on Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and material in libraries and on the Internet, complete the book.
Cover image Anglo-Saxon plaque from Sutton Hoo (bronze with enamels), 7th century. British Museum, London, UK/ The Bridgeman Art Library Cover design StephenRaw.com

About this title

About the Author

Chris McCully, born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1958, worked as a full-time academic, specialising in the history of the English language and on English sound-structure as well as on verse and verse-form, at the University of Manchester (1985–2003). From 2003–13 he worked part-time at various universities in the Netherlands (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) while writing books for several publishers. His Selected Poems (Carcanet) was published in 2012. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies at the University of Essex.

Edition details

• Publisher: Fyfield Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1857549252
• ISBN 13: 9781857549256
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128