A Beowulf Handbook

by Bjork, Rober E.; Niles, John D.

• ISBN13: 9780803261501
• ISBN10: 0803261500
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-08-01
• Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr

Summary

"This work fills a need long felt by students ofBeowulf. . . . [It] gives a real sense of the excitement and variety ofBeowulfstudies. . . . An accessible guide."Envoi. The most revered work composed in Old English,Beowulfis one of the landmarks of European literature. This handbook supplies a wealth of insights into all major aspects of this wondrous poem and its scholarly tradition. Each chapter provides a history of the scholarly interest in a particular topic, a synthesis of present knowledge and opinion, and an analysis of scholarly work that remains to be done. Written to accommodate the needs of a broad audience,A Beowulf Handbookwill be of value to nonspecialists who wish simply to read and enjoy Beowulf and to scholars at work on their own research. In its clear and comprehensive treatment of the poem and its scholarship, this book will prove an indispensable guide to readers and specialists for many years to come. Robert E. Bjork is a professor of English at Arizona State University. He is the author ofThe Old English Verse Saints' Lives: A Study in Direct Discourse and the Iconography of Style. John D. Niles is a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author ofBeowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition.

Author Biography

Robert E. Bjork is a professor of English at Arizona State University. He is the author of The Old English Verse Saints’ Lives: A Study in Direct Discourse and the Iconography of Style. John D. Niles is a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Beowulf, Truth, and Meaning	p. 1
Date, Provenance, Author, Audiences	p. 13
Textual Criticism	p. 35
Prosody	p. 55
Diction, Variation, the Formula	p. 85
Rhetoric and Style	p. 105
Sources and Analogues	p. 125
Structure and Unity	p. 149
Christian and Pagan Elements	p. 175
Digressions and Episodes	p. 193
Myth and History	p. 213
Symbolism and Allegory	p. 233
Social Milieu	p. 255
The Hero and the Theme	p. 271
Beowulf and Archaeology	p. 291
Gender Roles	p. 311
Beowulf and Contemporary Critical Theory	p. 325
Translations, Versions, Illustrations	p. 341
List of Abbreviations	p. 373
Works Cited	p. 377
Index	p. 431
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