General Editors' Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction l Introductory Key Concepts(a) The Anglo-Saxon Period(b) Anglo-Saxon Society(c) The Norman Conquest and the Later Medieval Period(d) Middle English Society(e) Religion: Pagan and Christian(f) Philosophy and Political Thought 2 Old English(a) Old English Literature: an Overview(b) Anglo-Latin Writing(c) Legal Texts(d) Historical Texts(e) Prose(t) Homilies, Sermons, and Saints' Lives(g) Scientific and Educational Texts(h) Poetry(i) Elegies and Transience(j) Battle Poetry and Concepts of Heroism(k) Riddles(1) Christian Verse(m) Wisdom Poetry(n) Beowulf(o) Apollonius of Tyre 3 Middle English(a) Old English Literary Tradition after the Norman Conquest(b) Latin and Anglo-Norman Literature(c) Early Middle English Poetry(d) Didactic Literature and Saints' Lives(e) Post-Conquest Historical Writing(f) Lyrical Poetry(g) Debate Poetry(h) Romances and Arthurian Literature(i) Comedy and Satire(j) Mystics(k) John Wyclif and Lollardy(l) Middle English Theatre(m) Science, Information, and Travel(n) Dream-Visions(o) William Langland, Piers Plowman(p) The Gawain-Poet(q) John Gower(r) Geoffrey Chaucer(s) Thomas Hoccleve and John Lydgate(t) Medieval Scottish Literature(u) William Caxton 4 Approaches, Theory, and Practice(a) Old English Language(b) Middle English Language(c) Translating and Commentary(d) Manuscripts(e) Authorship, Dating, and Transmission of Texts(f) Source Studies(g) Metre and Language of Poetry(h) Genres of Old and Middle English Literature(i) Placing Literature in Context(j) Editorial Practices(k) Theoretical Approaches Chronology References Index