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Anglo-Saxon poetry was produced between 700 and 1000 AD for an audience that delighted in technical accomplishment, and the durable works of Old English verse spring from the source of the English language. Michael Alexander has translated the best of the Old English poetry into modern English and into a verse form that retains the qualities of Anglo-Saxon metre and alliteration. Included in this selection are the "heroic poems" such as Widsith, Deor, Brunanburh and Maldon, and passages from Beowulf; some of the famous 'riddles' from The Exeter Book; all the "elegies," including The Ruin, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Wife's Complaint and The Husband's Message, in which the virtu of Old English is found in its purest and most concentrated form; together with the great Christian poem The Dream of the Rood. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.… (more)
User reviews
Alexander selected what he regards as the cream of the crop of Anglo-Saxon poetry. The style of his translations varies somewhat since he translated these
I find this old poetry, especially the battle poems, very involving and moving. I am not an Old English scholar, so I can't comment on the accuracy of the translation, but I like Alexander's translation of Beowulf better than any other I have read, and these shorter poems measure up to it.
The notes are sometimes helpful, but usually aimed at philologists. The introduction will be helpful to anyone unfamiliar with Anglo-Saxon society and literature, but Alexander's introductory comments on his own translation can be fussy and persnickety, quite the opposite of his poetic style, which is straightforward and forceful. He should let his poetry stand on its own.
The choice of verse is perhaps not optimal: myself I would have left out the Riddles and had a bit more Beowulf, but this is really the only quibble. The notes are both extensive and useful, and the introduction clear and informative aboth about the poems and the translator's objectives and techniques.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Old English or in Anglo-Saxon England generally.
The book does offer several fragments from Beowulf. The rest, however, are pieces that are likely new to most readers who aren't scholars in the field. Several of the poems are sections from extended poems that detailed important battles. Others are described as elegies or laments, and a few are nearly incomprehensible in their subject matter now that we are so far removed from their contexts. The book presents a selection of riddles, a typical past time, and an example of a beautiful poem that blends of the new Christian religion with preexisting pagan themes. Themes that were important to the listeners and tellers of those tales quickly become apparent: the importance of kin and community, the need for battles, an emphasis on honor and courage, the seafaring life, the despair over being isolated and separated from family, and the power of the story teller.
I found this to be an intellectual read, very interesting in revealing an old culture and a way of storytelling that had power and beauty but is no longer practiced in the same manner. Our poetry has evolved into a very different form. Every excerpt, and most of these were excerpts, are accompanied with introductions and extensive footnotes. The selections were short which helped to keep the reading move along smoothly. On the other hand, the reading was quite different from an escapist book. It was methodical and focused, and appealed to me because it expanded my knowledge of literature, not because it was a thrilling story. Occasionally I read for the fun, sometimes for the dense play of language and literature, and at other times for information or growth. In this case, I was interested in the language and the information. This fascinating world of reading or ours has so many rich new avenues to explore; this book sheds just a small light on one of them.