Old English Shorter Poems Religious and Didactic

Christopher A. Jones is Professor of English at The Ohio State University.

This handsome volume presents 29 Old English religious poems, each in the original language and facing modem English translation. Jones is wise in categorizing these non-narrative, anonymous poems under four loose headings ('Poetic Allegories of Nature, ' 'Poems of Worship and Prayer, ' 'Poems on Christian Living, ' and 'Poems on the Last Things') but emphasizing that the poems nonetheless share inextricable themes of morality and future judgment. Texts are based on established editions, and newly prepared prose translations balance faithfulness to the original with the standards of clear, idiomatic, modem English. The introduction provides context that will heighten appreciation of the poems. Notes on the particular poems offer general textual and bibliographic information. The introduction, notes, and bibliography do not aim to be comprehensive, a laudable choice because it allows inexperienced readers to encounter these beautiful poems, many rarely read today, directly and independent of layers of textual and critical commentary.--M. B. Busbee"Choice" (11/01/2012)