The Rood to Hell

by Jeff Massey

The Rood to Hell follows the development (NOT the evolution!) of literature written in the English Language, from its earliest distinct form (Old English—the Germanic expression of The Dream of the Rood and The Wanderer) through its greatest developmental period (Middle English—the lingua franca of Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims) into its fullest maturation stage (Early Modern English—the silvered tongue of Shakespeare’s Hamlet) and on to the self-realization of its own greatness (Modern English—the intentionally nostalgic epic poetry of Milton’s Paradise Lost). Not so very long ago, every educated Anglophone on the planet read these English texts and, whether we all readily recognize them or not, they still permeate our cultural consciousness. In these are the works worth knowing.

352 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2014