F. GRADY                                                   ENGLISH 395

455 LUCAS                                                  [SEC. 001, #17260]

516-5592 TTh 9:30-10:45                                    206 CLARK

T 1-2:30, W 10-12                                          FALL 1996

& by appointment

    This is a course in learning to read English in its earliest

recorded form. We'll begin with basic grammar and some short prose

selections, move on to some of the period's better-known (!) poetry

(The Wanderer, The Battle of Maldon) and spend the last two weeks or

so reading Beowulf in a facing-page translation. Throughout the

semester we'll discuss and interrogate these literary records to see

what they can tell us about Anglo-Saxon culture and how our

perceptions of that culture have been shaped.

    COURSE REQUIREMENTS: There will be three exams (including the final),

each of which will test your ability to translate Old English as well

as comment upon Anglo-Saxon culture and literature and each of which

will be worth 25% of your grade. Your work in the classroom--reading,

translating, participating, and taking quizzes--will make up the other

25%. A critical essay of 7-10 pages is optional, and could possibly

replace an undesirable midterm exam grade. More than four absences will adversely affect your grade.

    REQUIRED TEXTS:

           Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson, A Guide to Old English, 5th

                ed. (Oxford, 1992)

          Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition, trans. Howell D. Chickering,

    Jr. (New York, 1977

Malcolm Godden and Michael Lapidge, eds., The Cambridge     Companion to Old English Literature (Cambridge, 1991)      [recommended text]

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS:

T AUG 27 Introduction; Ways of approaching Old English

TH AUG 29 Grammatical terms, xvii; Spelling and Pronunciation (#1-9)

T SEP 3 Case (#188-92); Pronouns and Articles (#10-21)

TH SEP 5 the verb beon (#127); quiz on pronouns

T SEP 10 Practice Sentences C (p. 172), fully parsed

TH SEP 12 Fall of Man, ll. 1-20 (p. 174), fully parsed

T SEP 17 Fall of Man, ll. 21-42; Nouns (#22-25, #33-42, #47-48)

TH SEP 19 Ælfric, A Colloquy on the Occupations, ll. 1-21,

33-70 (p. 182)

T SEP 24 A Colloquy, 179-216; Adjectives (#63-67, #70, #74-76)

TH SEP 26 EXAM

T OCT 1 Strong verbs (#87-95, #110-114); A brief history

(#217-18, 231-4)

TH OCT 3 Cynewulf and Cyneheard, ll. 1-22 (p.208)

T OCT 8 Cynewulf and Cyneheard, ll. 23-43; Weak verbs (#115-26)

TH OCT 10 Bede, the Conversion of King Edwin, ll. 1-38 (p. 217)

T OCT 15 Conversion of Edwin, 39-78; Numerals & adverbs (#82-86, 135)

TH OCT 17 The Wanderer, ll. 1-36

T OCT 22 Wanderer, 37-87

TH OCT 24 Wanderer, 88-115

T OCT 29 EXAM

TH OCT 31 The Battle of Maldon, l. 1-41 (p.240)

T NOV 5 Maldon, 42-110

TH NOV 7 Maldon, 111-180

T NOV 12 Maldon, 181-243

TH NOV 14 Maldon, 244-94

T NOV 19 Maldon, 295-325

TH NOV 21 Beowulf, 1-1062

T NOV 26 Beowulf, 1063-2199

T DEC 3 Beowulf, 2200-3165

TH DEC 5 Beowulf; Conclusions

TH DEC 12 FINAL EXAM (7:45-9:45)