This is our first reading and HW assignment from Seth Lerer, Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language. (Columbia University Press, 2007). You may wonder why I am turning to Lerer's book instead of continuing with Michael Drout's lectures.
I do recommend that you read Drout's lectures, which you have all downloaded for free. They really are excellent! And Drout's discussion is a fine supplement to Van Gelderen's somewhat more technical and linguistic presentation. So, why Lerer?
Lerer's book is written for the student of literature. Lerer's approach to the HEL (= History of the English Language) is designed to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the lover of literature -- and, of course, of the teacher of literature. This course is designed for future English teachers and graduate students in English and American literature. Lerer himself is a professor of literature first, and a student of HEL after that. His own literary interests are evident in his presentation.
Read Chapter 1, "Caedmon Learns to Sing: Old English and the Origins of Poetry", and Chapter 2, "From Beowulf to Wulfstan: The Language of Old English Literature."
Chapter 1: Study Caedmon's Hymn, Northumbrian version (p. 12) and West Saxon Version (p. 17); and the Riddle, p. 22, and Lerer's discussion of them as literature and literary language.
Chapter 2: Pay attention to calques, ordinary spoken OE and the Colloquies; King Alfred's Preface to his translation of Gregory the Great's Pastoral Care (cura pastoralis).
Then study Lerer's analysis of a few short passages from Wulfstan's Sermo Lupi ad Anglos.
Lerer finds Christian allegories in the Riddle and Wulfstan, and in a different way in Caedmon's Hymn and Beowulf.
Written Homework: Discuss Lerer's interpretation of two of these texts.
Email to me and to your group. We'll discuss this in class.