Old and Middle English Literature

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Old and Middle English Literature It's fairly difficult to understand the style of Middle English, and it's pretty much near impossible to decipher the language of Old English. But fear not! Education Portal Academy has several engaging video lessons covering the works, genres and styles of Old and Middle English literature. Tune in and approach these English subjects with ease! Starting off, you'll be introduced to Beowulf, one of the oldest epic poems in Old English. You'll study the plot of the work, become familiar with its alliterative language and come to understand its historical significance to English literature. Next, you'll get an overview of one of the fathers of modern literature, Geoffrey Chaucer. Highly accomplished and famous during his lifetime in the Middle Ages, Chaucer was one of the first writers to write in the 'vernacular,' a writing style that moved away from traditional Old English and was written in a manner closer to the way people spoke. Don't worry about not being able to understand Middle English, though; we offer several tips on how to interpret and make sense of the language style. Among Chaucer's most famous works is The Canterbury Tales, consistsing of many stories told by a group of pilgrims. While covering The Canterbury Tales, you'll not only study the plots and characters, but you'll also see how Chaucer used frame narrative, which essentially means that there are several stories told within a story. Next, you'll study the different story types common during the literature of Middle English. 'The Knight's Tale' (not to be confused with the movie) will familiarize you with the chivalric romance genre. You'll encounter a raunchy comedy in the form of a fabliau during your study of 'The Miller's Tale.' Finally, 'The Nun's Priest Tale' will expose you to the talking-animal genre ('beast fable') that is still popular today;
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