The Alliterative Morte Arthure: A Reassessment of the Poem

by Karl Heinz Goller (Editor)

The present volume grew from a nucleus of four papers given at the Twelfth International Arthurian Conference at Regensburg in 1971 on the alliterative Morte Arthure , increasingly recognised as one of the great masterpiecesof medieval English literature. These lectures sought to reappraise the poem and its somewhat enigmatic historical and cultural context, and are presented here in a much revised and expanded form. Unlike most volumes of theiskind, the contributions form an integrated whole, the result of lengthy discussions among the collaborating scholars over the past year. The topics range from the poem's place among chronicles and Arthurian romances to the date, audience and attitude to contempary problems, notably that of war. pecific fields such as heraldry and laments for the dead are examined in detail, while the linguistic structure of the poem is the subject of two essays.

196 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of thirteen essays on the The Alliterative Morte Arthure by various scholars. Includes essays on the audience, formulaic style and Gawain's role in the poem. Very enjoyable.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of articles giving an overview of the scholarship on the poem as it was in 1981--a bit dated now but still useful.