Early English religious literature : the development of the genres of poetry, narrative, and homily.

Abstract

This thesis contends that during the medieval period, as Anglo-Saxon literature developed under, at first, the influence of Germanic oral traditions and later, the authority of continental (and particularly Latin) literary forms, the homily or sermon was the genre that achieved the most complex and comprehensive synthesis of these traditions prior to 1066, which in turn assured its survival as a living vernacular form following the Norman Conquest. During the course of this thesis, samples of poetry, narrative, and homily will be examined, illuminating the style, literary techniques, and treatment of content, progressing through the centuries and revealing the overall development of each genre. A final comparison of development in each genre will show the Old English homily to have made the most progress during the Old English period toward the modern understanding of the genre.