English 3401a: Medieval Literature (Fall 2026)
English 3401 introduces students to the study of British medieval literature and language (i.e. from roughly 500 CE through 1500). All works will be read in English or in translation.
Contents
Instructor
Times and location
- Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 09:00-10:15
- Location: D631
Office and Office Hours
Location: B810B (Office); B838 (Lab).
Availability: Appointment preferred (Use this form). I expect to be on campus most of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, either in my office or the lab and you are welcome to try dropping in if you don’t mind running the risk that I can’t see you right away. An appointment is the best bet.
About this course
This course is an introduction to the medieval literature of English-speaking Britain.
By “medieval” we mean roughly the period of time between the arrival of the Germanic speaking tribes whose languages ultimately became English (traditionally dated to 449 CE) and the fifteenth century (i.e. the 1400s — I often use the arrival of the Printing Press in 1472 as a useful marker). We also usually break this down further into the Old English and Middle English periods, using the Norman Invasion in 1066 as a (very rough) division line. Of course these are all very rough dates: “periods” are used to help us order evidence, but at the cost of simplification.
We say “English-speaking” Britain because there wasn’t yet a single political authority in what we now think of as “The United Kingdom” and because many languages other than English were spoken and read: Latin, French, Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, and so on.
The focus of this class will be Middle English, though we’ll spend some time reading Old English literature in Modern English translation (you need to study Old English in order to read it yourself). We’ll also read a few things from some of the other languages spoken and written at the time, though in translation.
One of the striking things you’ll see is how different these literatures can be. While there is some continuity and while some stories (Arthur and his court being a significant example) move across the literatures, there are also huge disjunctions. Literature of the post-Norman period was often far more continental in outlook and influence—especially in the cultural centre around London—than the Old English period. Its poetry begins to use end-rhyme and adopts foot-based metrical systems (such as the famous “iambic pentameter” used by Shakespeare) based on Romance and Classical models (prior to this, English poetry used alliteration, or initial-rhyme, and a completely different metrical system). We also start seeing the introduction of or increased interest in forms of literature that will remain important into our own day: drama, autobiography, lyric poetry, polemic, etc.—including Arthuriana, which is unknown in Old English. While some of these forms are found in English before the Conquest, all receive far more attention in the post Conquest period.
But “the past,” as L.P. Hartley has written, also can seem like “a foreign country.” This is also true of Middle English literature, its authors, and, from what we can tell, its readers. Later medieval English authors and audiences seem at many times to have understood the world quite differently. Religion was in many ways far more omnipresent. Information was harder to come by. Science and scholarship were understood very differently. Ethnic, gender, and national prejudice could be more overtly encouraged—but also divide people differently.
Middle English varies a lot in how hard it can be for modern English readers (the idea that there should be a “standard English” doesn’t really begin until after the arrival of the printing press). In this course, we will be mixing readings in translation with readings in Middle English. Help will be given with passages that are not in Middle English and no previous knowledge is required. But you should be prepared to read slowly at times!
Learning goals
By the end of the course, you should be able to do the following:
- Speak and write knowledgeably about English medieval literature;
- Read some types of Middle English in the original language;
- Research and write about a topic involving medieval literature.
In addition, you will have practice preparing academic posters, writing, and speaking about research.
Texts
Required
- Black, Joseph Laurence, et al., editors. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Volume 1: The Medieval Period. Revised third edition, Broadview Press, 2023. ISBN 978-1-55481-616-3. BABL [1]
- Chaucer, Book of the Duchess
- Kleinman, Scott. An Introduction to Middle English. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
- O’Donnell, Daniel Paul.
- The Old English Alphabet. 2016.
- Old English Pronunciation. 2012.
- Old English Metre: A Brief Guide. 2012.
- Bibles for Students of Literature. 2010.
Recommended
- O’Donnell, Daniel Paul.
- Basic Old English Grammar. 2012.
- Essential Grammar 1: Inflections. 2014.
- Essential Grammar 2: Parts of Speech. 2014.
- Essential Grammar 3: Grammatical Function. 2014.
- Cædmon’s Hymn: A Multimedia Study, Edition, and Archive Internet Edition. (Internet edition). SEENET, 2018. https://caedmon.seenet.org/.
- O’Donnell, Rosselli del Turco, Porter, Karkov, Dellepiane, Callieri, Singh. The Visionary Cross. 2012-2020.
Notes:
[1] It is important that you have this edition as well as the access code for the associated website. There are considerable differences between editions of this textbook and we will be using texts that are available only on the Broadview website.
Assessment
This assessment is provisional until the end of the first class.
- Attendance and Quizzes 5% (Pass/Fail) [2]
- Attendance
- Quizzes
- Academic citizenship 5% (Pass/Fail) [2]
- Poster
- Poster presentation
- Formative Exercises 35% (Appropriate/Inappropriate/Fail) [3]
- Weekly Blog (due every week by Monday evening from September 21 through December 7). [4]
- First written assignment: unessay (due Sunday Oct. 4 23:59)
- Second written assignment: (research) essay (due Sunday Nov. 1 23:59)
- Summative 45% (A+ through F)
- Final written assignment: research essay or (with prior permission) creative project 25% (due Sunday Dec. 13 23:59). [5]
- Final Exam (Moodle) 20% (Testing centre, Dec. 12-19). [6]
- Badges 10% [7]
- Distinction 1.5%
- Great Distinction 3.0%
- Permission to resubmit inappropriate work -2.5% [8]
Notes:
[2] All exercises under this category are of equal weight. I reserve the right to add or subtract participation exercises during the year.
[3] All exercises under this category are of equal weight. Exceptional work may be eligible for badges. Students may submit one piece of “Inappropriate” work for regrading, provided they accompany this with a letter explaining what changes have been made to the resubmission. Students who resubmit work for grading will receive a 2.5% penalty on their final grade.
[4] Up to three blogs published in any one week may be counted for credit (though you are welcome to publish more than three). If you publish more than one blog, then the first one counts for 1 point and the second and third 1/2 point each (i.e. a maximum of 2 points in any one week). For the purposes of calculating grades, the week ends with the beginning of our Tuesday class (i.e. anything published after 09:00 on Tuesday belongs to the following week’s blog(s)). Your first blog in a week must be published by midnight Monday to count as “on-time.” After midnight on Monday, you may be assigned a late penalty of 1/2 a point for your first blog.
[5] Creative/alternative work will be accepted for the final written assignment only with prior permission of the instructor. Proposals for creative/alternative work will be considered between November 2 and November 20. If you are considering a creative or alternative project for your final written assignment, please ensure you prepare a proposal and book an appointment to discuss it with me.
[6] The final exam will be available in the Testing Centre throughout the exam period. Students are responsible for finding a time to sit the exam. Please be aware that the Testing Centre can be very busy during this period. Be sure to leave sufficient time to accommodate delays in computer availability within the Centre.
[7] Badges are earned for exceptional work. Badges may not be combined on any one exercise (i.e. you cannot have a “distinction” and “great distinction” badge on the same piece of work, or a “distinction” and “resubmission”). At the end of the semester, the total value of all badges will be added together.
[8] Students may request permission to resubmit one piece of “inappropriate” formative work in the course of the semester, at a cost of -2.5% on their final grade in the class. Work receiving a “Fail” may not be made up.
Parents room
The University has two Parent Rooms that are accessible to anyone on campus who wishes to feed or just spend some quiet time with their baby or toddler. They’re located in SU058 (Students’ Union Building) and SA7236 (Science Commons). Parent Rooms will be open during regular building hours, normally 7 am – 9 pm and are not required to be booked in order to use. Please contact the ULSU (403-329-2222) if you have any questions. Information on policies and rules concerning the room may be found here: https://www.ulethbridge.ca/policy/resources/parent-rooms-use-principles.
Policies
The following policies will be followed in all my classes unless otherwise announced. You are expected to be familiar with the policies reproduced here and in the more general section on my website. These additional web pages are to be considered part of this syllabus for the purposes of this course.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
My policy on the use of AI is found in the policies section of my website.
Grade scale
The University of Lethbridge keeps track of student performance using a letter and grade point system (see the Academic Calendar). Instructors assign students a letter grade at the end of each course (the University does not issue or record mid-term grades). These letter grades are converted to a numerical value (a Grade Point) for assessing overall academic performance (a Grade Point Average or GPA). The University does not record percentage-type grades and does not have a fixed scale for conversion from percentage scores to letter grades and grade points. Each instructor is responsible for determining their own methodology for determining students’ final letter grade.
In my classes, I use the following letter-grade to percentage correspondences:
| Excellent | Good | Satisfactory | Poor | Minimal pass | Failing | |||||||
| Letter | A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | F |
| Percent range | 100-94 | 93-90 | 89-86 | 85-82 | 81-78 | 77-74 | 73-70 | 69-66 | 65-62 | 61-58 | 57-50 | 49-0 |
| Conventional value | 100 | 92 | 88 | 84 | 80 | 76 | 72 | 68 | 64 | 60 | 56 | 49-0 |
| Grade point | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0 | |
Submitting Work
Tests, Exams, and Quizzes
Tests and Exams will be written in the University’s Testing Centre on Moodle.
Essays and Reports
Essays and reports will normally be collected using Turnitin within Moodle.
Plagiarism
This course uses plagiarism detection software (Turnitin). Plagiarism is an academic offence.
Class schedule
This schedule is provisional and subject to change in response to changing class interests, discussion, and similar exigencies.
| Week | Date | Topic | Reading |
| 1 | Thursday Sept. 10 | Class cancelled: instructor illness. The introduction and the Week 2 readings are taken up on Tuesday Sept. 15. | |
| 2 | Tuesday Sept. 15 | Introduction Background to Medieval literature in Britain: Early medieval language and literature |
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| Thursday Sept. 17 | Bede, Cædmon, and the earliest English poetry |
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| 3 | Monday Sept. 21 | First blog due (blogs are due every Monday until end of term) |
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| Tuesday Sept. 22 | Early medieval language and literature (con’t) |
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| Thursday Sept. 24 | Heroic verse at the end of the period |
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| 4 | Tuesday Sept. 29 | Other worlds 1: The Lais of Marie de France |
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| Thursday Oct. 1 | Marie de France (con’t) |
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| Sunday Oct. 4 23:59 |
First written assignment: unessay due | ||
| 5 | Tuesday Oct. 6 | Other worlds 2: The Mabinogi |
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| Thursday Oct. 8 | The Mabinogi (con’t) |
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| 6 | Tuesday Oct. 13 | Other worlds 3: Gawain and the Green Knight |
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| Thursday Oct. 15 | Gawain (con’t) |
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| 7 | Tuesday Oct. 20 | God’s country 1: Some genres | |
| Thursday Oct. 22 | God’s country 2: The lyric |
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| 8 | Tuesday Oct. 27 | God’s country 3: The spiritual life 1 |
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| Thursday Oct. 29 | The spiritual life 2 |
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| Sunday Nov. 1 23:59 |
Second written assignment: (research) essay due | ||
| 9 | Tuesday Nov. 3 | God’s country 4: The spiritual life 3 |
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| Thursday Nov. 5 | Pearl (con’t) |
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| Nov. 9-14 | Fall Term Break: No Classes (includes Remembrance Day, Nov. 11) | ||
| 10 | Tuesday Nov. 17 | God’s country 5: Critique |
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| Thursday Nov. 19 | Piers Plowman (con’t) |
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| 11 | Tuesday Nov. 24 | Medieval Drama 1: Origins |
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| Thursday Nov. 26 | Medieval Drama 2: Liturgical drama |
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| 12 | Tuesday Dec. 1 | Medieval Drama 3: The cycle play |
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| Thursday Dec. 3 | Medieval Drama 4: The cycle play (con’t) |
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| 13 | Tuesday Dec. 8 | High art |
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| Thursday Dec. 10 | Poster session Conclusion |
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| Sunday Dec. 13 23:59 |
Final written assignment: essay or creative project due | ||
| Dec. 12-19 | Final exam window (Moodle) | ||
Notes
[9] This work contains strongly anti-semitic passages.
