...”borrowing” a lot from the greeks and the romans. Milton is desperate to make english latin. We have got to be latin, if it’s not latin it’s not literature. The language comes really late into the game. English always tries to catch up. Languages comes from a conquerer taking a country and forcing his language onto the native language. English is a mishmash language. Grammar is also merged. The vikings/barbarians invaded England, and beat down all culture/cities/religion. They wiped out the latin culture. And settled. Anglo-saxon 450-550 AD. Britain becomes a series of tribal bands. Britain becomes ”aengland”. Britain becomes a country under a german people. G.M- Trevelyans comment on the Anglo-Saxons: In many respects the life resembles that of Homer’s day. Each was a free Heroic Age, wherein the warrior chief played his part unshackled. Even when Christianity and territorial feudalism were beinning to lay new restraints on the individual, Anglo-Saxon society had in it much...
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...Ma. Gretchiela G. Gabral R71 Ma. Gretchiela G. Gabral R71 Comparative Analysis of Philippine and Anglo-Saxon Short Stories It could not be denied that the early Philippine short stories in English were influenced by the Anglo-Saxon. The Philippine short stories had evolved from the earlier literature of fables and folk tales and adapted the elements of the short stories of the Anglo-Saxon. The Philippine and Anglo-Saxon short stories were alike in many ways. I found “Dead Stars”, the first Philippine short story in English as equally interesting as “The Storm” although the pace of the story differed in each. Both stories were able to present thematic ideas with the use of the setting “storm” and the symbolism “dead stars”. While the storm seemed to be the driving machinery of the events that followed in “The Storm”, the dead stars on the other hand seemed to be the closure of the events in “Dead Stars”. Both left an equal effect of wonder. That effect of wonder had always been present whether it was Anglo-Saxon or Philippine short story. The authors of these short stories were able to use profoundly the elements of a short story. Anglo-Saxon and Philippine Short Stories also had similarities in terms of character development and world views. The conflict in each of the characters of the short stories supported the flow of events that happened eventually. Emily in “A Rose for Emily”, pressed by the image of her coming from the elite family, led her to kill the man...
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...Dorothy L. Sayers once said “Death seems to provide the minds of the Anglo-Saxon race with a greater fund of amusement than any other single subject” (BrainyQuote). Sayers is a well respect writer, translator and literary critic and she managed to summarize the mood of Anglo-Saxon literature quite well. Death is a common subject in Anglo-Saxon literature. It has deep roots in their culture and history. This common topic gives Anglo-Saxon literature a mood of despair. Often death was not the end for these people. Their name lived on through stories and epic tales, but this fact does not dilute the over whelming sensation of sorrow and loss in Anglo-Saxon literature. It only provides a way of coping with it. Death is a complex subject in Anglo-Saxon culture. It is highlighted quite nicely in the epic poem, Beowulf. Beowulf is the strongest of men. Hrothgar describes him as “that in the grasp of his hand that man renowned in battle has the might of thirty men” (Beowulf 333-335). He has risked his life multiple times to show how truly noble and courageous a man he can be, but the thanes still thought, “Not one of them believed he would see / day dawn, or ever return to his family / and friends, and the place where he was born; / they well knew that in recent days / far to many Danish men had come to bloody ends in that hall (Beowulf 602-608).” Even in the presence of the greatest of warriors, the people still fear Grendel and believe Beowulf will just become another meal for...
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... it had been circulated though it’s original oral narrative. Many of the events and characters tie to battles and actual figures in history that pre-date the Anglo-Saxon invasion in 450 A.D. Though originally pagan in nature, due to the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity Beowulf was told through a Christian poet. The poet does reference to biblical thoughts and ideas, it’s mixed within the basic Anglo-Saxon principle. Which is pretty impressive. The fact that one can use Beowulf as a way to look at and understand the Anglo-Saxon culture, which may have been lost without it, is an historical feet all on its own. The values shown in the characters in Beowulf are the same values the Anglo-Saxon had. When it came to the values of the warrior class, it’s especially similar. Beowulf is in a sense the quintessential Anglo-Saxon warrior. Warriors at that time were first and foremost loyal to his people and his thane. A warrior was also brave and valorous. Without these what kind of warrior would one be? The warrior had to be courageous to go out to battle without certainty of coming home. Along with courage, a warrior also had to be proud. Not too proud as to offend the thane or his lady, just enough to make him seem worthwhile. Strength was a very sought after trait in a warrior. Strength was so highly viewed in the world of Beowulf it, like seen in line 196-198. One of Hrothgar's horsemen described Beowulf as he arrived at the land of the Danes to help them defeat the demon that...
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...To develop the culture for next gen and around the world for these reasons only literature are formed. The problems of creating a uniform global history of literature compounded that many texts have been lost over millennia, or by accident, or by the total disappearance of the originating culture. For example much has been written, the destruction of the Library of Alexandria in the 1st Century...
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...Anthology of English Literature and may be found online at: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/topic_4/welcome.htm | From our point of view, it is appropriate to think of the language and literature of Anglo-Saxon England as "Old English," because the language is the remote ancestor of the English spoken today. Yet for the inhabitants of Anglo-Saxon England, the language was, of course, not old, and did not come to be referred to generally as "English" until fairly late in the period. The earliest reference given in the Oxford English Dictionary is 890. Bede's Latin Ecclesiastical History of the English People refers collectively to the people as gens Anglorum, which in the vernacular translation becomes angel-cynne (English-race). However, in Bede's time the England of today was divided into a number of petty kingdoms. Language, the Roman Church, and monastic institutions lent these kingdoms a certain cultural identity, but a political identity began to emerge only during the ninth century in response to the Danish invasions, and through King Alfred's efforts to revive learning and to make Latin religious and historical works, such as Bede's History, available in vernacular translations.Most of the surviving vernacular poetry of Anglo-Saxon England consists of free translations or adaptations of Latin saints' lives and books of the Bible, such as Genesis, Exodus, and Daniel. But with the exception of The Battle of Maldon about the defeat of Earl Byrhtnoth and...
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...Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll In the Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, heroes were considered to be warriors and were respected by the entire community. The hero not only had to be tough and fearless, he had to be successful on the battlefield and loyal to his lord as well. The time period of the Anglo-Saxons lasted for 600 years, from 410 to 1066, but the culture and literature of this period was not forgotten (Delahoyde). Lewis Carroll was a writer in the 19th century who included the Anglo-Saxon era in his work. After the publication of his novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, he published another novel named, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. His poem, “Jabberwocky,” is a poem from the novel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (Delahoyde). This poem is still known to be one of his famous poems. The poem is about a father who is tells his son to be beware of a monster named “Jabberwocky” that wanders around in the woods. In the poem, Carroll mentions several dissimilar and unusual creatures that do not exist in the real world. Carroll’s style of writing is very unusual in this piece of work and it only influences the readers to laugh at the definitions of the words. In his mind boggling poem, “Jabberwocky,” Lewis Carroll uses unusual diction to mock the Anglo-Saxon heroic tradition. After the father tells his son of the monster that lives in the woods, the son goes on a search for this monster with the purpose of killing it...
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...community. Trayvon Martin is not the first nor the last victim of this history and stand your ground culture which Kelly Douglas explains in her book, Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God. Then the question comes to us when we observe these acts of violence, who or what is responsible for the acts of violence in the world like the murder of Trayvon Martin? Do we blame the murderer, George Zimmerman, who felt that Trayvon Martin was a...
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...ENGLISH LITERATURE ITS HISTORY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD A TEXT-BOOK FOR SCHOOLS BY WILLIAM J. LONG, PH.D. (Heidelberg) TO MY FRIEND C H T IN GRATITUDE FOR HIS CONTINUED HELP IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS BOOK CANTERBURY PILGRIMS From Royal MS., 18 D.ii, in the British Museum PREFACE This book, which presents the whole splendid history of English literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the close of the Victorian Era, has three specific aims. The first is to create or to encourage in every student the desire to read the best books, and to know literature itself rather than what has been written about literature. The second is to interpret literature both personally and historically, that is, to show how a great book generally reflects not only the author's life and thought but also the spirit of the age and the ideals of the nation's history. The third aim is to show, by a study of each successive period, how our literature has steadily developed from its first simple songs and stories to its present complexity in prose and poetry. To carry out these aims we have introduced the following features: (1) A brief, accurate summary of historical events and social conditions in each period, and a consideration of the ideals which stirred the whole nation, as in the days of Elizabeth, before they found expression in literature. (2) A study of the various literary epochs in turn, showing what each gained from...
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...Is there a coming economic collapse? When will this happen? How will this affect us? Many wonder what the future is for the global economy. Over the last few years economists have been expressing increasing concerns about the direction the global economy is going in, and the possibility of a worldwide depression. They have been warning about the growing global imbalances in the world economy, and the consequences if not corrected. Yet we live in a time where the global economy is booming, especially in the Anglo-Saxon and Asian economies. Consumer spending is up. House prices around the world have risen dramatically. Unemployment remains low. The global economy has experienced the longest period of sustained economic growth in recent history. The US$ continues to remain stable. Why has the global economy experienced such strong growth? Will this growth continue? What does the future hold? Interestingly, some of the stimulus for the growth the global economy has recently experienced is a result of decisions made following Sept 11th. Already, prior to Sept 11th the US Federal Reserve was maintaining a loose fiscal policy in an effort to stimulate economic growth in the US economy, which had slowed down following years of strong growth during the Clinton administration. Then along came Sept 11th, which threatened to destabilize the American banking system. To prevent this happening, the Fed injected billions into the banking system to provide sufficient...
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...implemented to ensure internal national security, which includes the need to preserve national cohesion by protecting the existing Anglo-Saxon demography. Not only did Anglo-Saxons constitute a racial majority in the late eighteenth century, they also saw themselves as intellectually and culturally superior to migrants from other areas of the world like southern and eastern European. As noted by Benjamin Franklin, the Anglo-Saxon populace in America viewed other ethnic groups with suspicious because “they will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion” (Franklin 1751). This strong rhetoric by a member of the founding fathers is significant because it demonstrates how perceived ethnic threats create a sense of internal insecurity to Anglo-Saxon nativists, which fuels the need to preserve racial identity and restrictive immigration polices like the Naturalization Act of 1790. Not only was the Naturalization Act of 1790 the first legislation to define citizenship in America by restricting naturalization privileges to free “white people”, it also established a significant precedent in immigration legislation because it systematically excluded certain population like Asians and African Americans based on racial heritage and the need to reinforce the dominance of Anglo-Saxon nativists (Ignatiev 49). As noted by Ignatiev, Anglo-Saxon natives ostracized members of other ethnic groups like the early Irish immigrants in the early 19th century. The natives...
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...are a part of the Indo-European family. English is in the Germanic group of languages; West Germanic is the ancestor of modern Dutch, German, Flemish, Frisian and English. The Gaelic-speaking Celts were one of the earliest people to migrate westward and they were natives of the British Isles long before the English (McCrum 48). “The Celtic Britons had the misfortune to inhabit an island that was highly desirable for both its agriculture and for its minerals.”(p.52) The Angles, Saxons and the Jutes were the first invaders of the British Isles and they caused the Britons to flee to the west. The Angles, Saxons and the jutes mixed their different Germanic dialects and formed what linguists now refer to as Old English or Anglo-Saxon. “Englisc’ was Old English for English, and it comes from the name of the Angles. “The basic building blocks of an English sentence- the, is, you and- are Anglo-Saxon. It is impossible to write a modern sentence without using a feast of Anglo-Saxon words.”(p.58) The Anglo-Saxons were the first speakers of English, but the English they spoke is very much different from what we speak today and it is unintelligible to modern ears. This is an indication that along English’s journey through the years, there were events that occurred to change the language from what it was then to what it is now. The arrival of Christianity in England,Viking invasions and Alfred the Great, the Norman Conquest, the industrial revolution and rise of the technological society,...
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...as motive, where they are often boiled down to one or two prime influences on action. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, is no exception. As Beowulf fights three different battles, his motivations are tripartite. Each of his motivations reflects a deeper aspect of Anglo-Saxon culture. In his battles, Beowulf fights for pride, revenge, and duty, respectively. Beowulf’s first battle is fought for his own pride. As made apparent by his insufferable speech about how great he is, given to Hrothgar, he is rather obsessed with himself. This is somewhat understandable, as he is the strongest and greatest warrior in the world, however he does exude a certain middle-school, immature aura when he beats his chest. A deeper aspect of the Anglo-Saxon code is glimpsed just briefly, when he says that his countrymen say that fighting Grendel is his duty, but at no point does he actually acknowledge that fighting Grendel is his duty. Instead, he put off an overpowering feeling that defeating Grendel is just another accolade to add to his impressive resume. This fight is happening for the sole purpose of recounting it in front of another king at another time when he goes to challenge yet another, seemingly unbeatable monster. If this seems shallow, you have to think about the emphasis that the Anglo-Saxon society places on prowess in battle, and the lack of emphasis that is places on humility. In the Anglo-Saxon code, there is a strong theme of war and combat ability, while there is almost no aspect...
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...A hero is someone who is defined by their courage, nobility, and outstanding achievements. To be considered a Greek hero, one had to be brave, strong, and a child of an immortal parent. A hero, as defined by the Anglo-Saxons, possessed extraordinary strength, bravery, loyalty, and leadership, and was favored and assisted by supernatural beings. Comparing Beowulf to Percy Jackson based on their culture and heroic characteristics involving bravery, leadership, strength, personality traits, fighting style, and their motivation to fight. Focuses on the two different aspects of heroism as defined by Greek and Anglo Saxon culture. Beowulf and Percy Jackson share the heroic traits of leadership skills, superhuman strength and bravery. Beowulf is the leader of the Geats,...
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...The Middle Anglo Saxons had a harsh and violent society, and it was to an extent characterised by war. To gain power and wealth, military force was often the only way. But even though this society was in a constant war-like state, it also provided with culture and community. Unfortunately this period is known as the Dark Ages, and not many records were written. But through archaeology and the few sources we have, we can tell some interesting things about the life in this period. Who had power in the society was based on who had the strongest military force. Power was taken and lost through battles and wars. If a king was killed in battle, his killer, not his son, took his place as king. A kingdom was only as strong as their warrior-leader, and they gained their respects through their success at the battlefield. This meant that power could easily be gained but was very hard to keep. Also, the ties of loyalty were to a lord, not to his station. The king’s best advisors, his thanes, should not survive the king, and the worst fate for them was to be exiled by the new leader or king. Also, to outlast their fellow warriors was not something they wanted to experience, as their sense of identity often came from the warrior community. If a lord fell, his men fell with him. This made the Anglo-Saxon society fluid and unstable. Wars and battles also erupted between the different kingdoms. Power was always something leaders strived for during this period. In Anglo-Saxon times, the...
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