Medieval English Literature

Beowulf

The oldest surviving epic poem in English literature

Old English

Language beowulf is written in

Kenning

Poetic device where two words form a metaphor (e.g., “whale-road”) used in Beowulf

Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon

Beowulf’s three major opponents

Heroism, fate, morality, and legacy

Themes explored in Beowulf

Unknown (the Pearl Poet)

Medieval English poet known for writing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Middle English

Language Sir Gawain is written in and The Canterbury Tales

Bob-and-Wheel

A unique poetic structure that uses a short line + rhymed quatrain to conclude stanzas in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Human weakness, fear of death, and imperfection in the chivalric code

The symbolism of the green sash in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Geoffrey Chaucer

Wrote The Canterbury Tales and is considered the Father of English Literature

Frame Narrative

The literary form where a main story encompasses one or more smaller stories, creating a layered narrative. This technique is prominent in works such as The Canterbury Tales.

Fabliau

A bawdy comic story used in The Canterbury Tales by the Miller’s Tale

Wife of Bath’s central argument

Women deserve sovereignty in marriage, advocating for women's independence and control over their own lives.

Moral of Pardoner’s Tale

Greed is the root of all evil (Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas)

Chivalry

The knightly code of courage, loyalty, courtesy, and honor

Medieval English Literature time period

Roughly 500-1500 ce

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds

Role of Christianity in Medieval literature

It blends with earlier pagan traditions, providing moral lessons, allegories, and biblical references