Old English Liturgical Verse

“In this book, Sarah Larratt Keefer intentionally breaks away from the modern Old English poetic canon, established in the nineteenth century, and successfully and engagingly presents a set of ten liturgical poems that demonstrably were part of the eleventh-century canon. Through these poems, Keefer allows us a more than generous look into personal and communal celebrations and what made Christian hearts beat in Anglo-Saxon England.” — Rolf Bremmer, Leiden University

“Keefer’s edition is much overdue: it fills a lacuna in the study of the Old English verse canon … Keefer’s edition is both teacher and student friendly. Its facing-page layout of semi-diplomatic text and modern edition instantly demonstrates how powerful the hand of a modern editor can be in shaping and interpreting poetry. Thus it encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the inseparable relationship between manuscript and edition in their study of poetry and courageously to respond critically and personally to each poem they address … Old English Liturgical Verse: A Student Edition is a valuable edition, and parts of it or its entirety should be used in the classroom; it promises to hold a permanent place in the libraries of both student and teacher.” — Helen Damico, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching

“Old English Liturgical Verse has two unique advantages for the teacher of Old English. In a clear, accessible, and yet profoundly scholarly way, it presents the Anglo-Saxons’ engagement with some of the fundamentals of Christian belief, which are themselves carefully elucidated. At the same time, by presenting the semi-diplomatic text and the modern critical edition on facing pages, it vividly demonstrates how the printed edition transforms the original. This is a rich basis for class discussion and it will encourage the student to adopt a more questioning approach to the mediated form of the text that we invariably encounter across all periods of literature.” — Joyce Hill, University of Leeds