Beowulf: The Donaldson Translation. Backgrounds and Sources. Criticism

Description

This Norton Critical Edition presents the highly acclaimed Donaldson prose translation of "Beowulf" in its entirety. This accurate translation with its useful annotation fully conveys the meaning and spirit of the Anglo-Saxon original. The Backgrounds and Sources section provides students with the historical, linguistic and literary setting of "Beowulf." Among the readings are E. Talbot Donaldson's presentation of the major features of the Old English poetry, S. L. Wrenn's discussion of the historicity of Beowulf and a valuable archaeological survey of the period by Ralph Arnold. Abbreviations ix Preface xi The Translation / E. Talbot Donaldson xiii The Text of "Beowulf" 1 Backgrounds and Sources Robert C. Hughes. The Origins of Old English to 800 A.D. 59 Map of the continental homelands of the Germanic invaders 61 Map of the English kingdoms at the beginning of the seventh century A.D. 62 Stanley B. Greenfield. Nature and Quality of Old English Poetry 66 E. Talbot Donaldson. [Old English Prosody and Caedmon’s Hymn] 67 E. G. Stanley. [Manuscript — Sources — Audience] 69 Dorothy Whitelock. [Time and Milieu of "Beowulf's" Composition] 72 Kemp Malone. [The Old English "Scop" and "Widsith"] 75 Fr. Klaeber. Genesis of the Poem 79 R. W. Chambers. [A Scandinavian Parallel — The "Grettis Saga"] 82 Stanlev B. Greenfield. [The Finn Episode and Its Parallel] 86 Fr. Klaeber. [The Danish - Heaðo-Bard Feud] 88 C. L. Wrenn. [The Historicity of Beowulf] 89 Ralph Arnold. [Royal Halls — The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial] 90 Criticism E. Talbot Donaldson. [Overview of] The Poem 97 Fr. Klaeber. The Christian Coloring 102 J. R. R. Tolkien. "Beowulf": The Monsters and the Critics 105 Kenneth Sisam. The Structure of Beowulf 113 R. E. Kaske. [The Governing Theme of "Beowulf"] 118 Margaret E. Goldsmith. [Beowulfs Spiritual Vulnerability] 131 Alvin A. Lee. Symbolic Metaphor and the Design of "Beowulf" 146 John Leyerle. The Interlace Structure of "Beowulf" 158 Frederic G. Cassidy and Richard N. Ringler. Oral-Formulaic Theory 171 Pauli F. Baum. The "Beowulf" Poet 174 E. V. K. Dobbie. [The Geats and the Swedes] 178 Edward B. Irving, Jr. The Feud: Ravenswood 180 Frederick R. Rebsamen. ["Beowulf" — A Personal Elegy] 187 Selected Bibliography 189 Appendices I. The "Beowulf" Manuscript 194 II. Tribes and Genealogies 197 III. The Geography of "Beowulf" 199 IV. Index of Proper Names 200