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stevenvanens 's review for:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo
by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a collection of three medieval poems, translated by J.R.R. Tolkien and posthumously published and edited by his son Cristopher Tolkien. The translations are accompanied by introductions to the respective poems and their historical context, and the main poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is followed by a written out lecture Tolkien once gave on the meaning of its contents.
Tolkien's translations of the poems are unique in that they were (are?) one of the few that focused less on literal translation and more on keeping the structure, meter and rhyme intact. Hence, these poems are great for reading out loud to get the great sounds and mouthfeel out. Sir Gawain features an old anglo-saxon alliterative scheme, while Pearl is a more traditional rhyme (but structured in such a way that every five stanzas feature a theme), and Sir Orfeo incorporates more of a regular rhyming scheme.
Sir Gawain is about the eponymous knight and his 'tryst' with the Green Knight, a mysterious and magical creature that challenges him to a lethal game of courtesy. This particular medieval version puts a lot of emphasis on the rules of courtesy and how they interact with, and sometimes contradict, typical Christian virtues, and how Gawain deals with that. Pearl is about a vision a man has of heaven and the subsequent theological discussion he has with his dead daughter. Sir Orfeo is a medieval, probably originally French, retelling of the classical myth of Orpheus, but set in a romanticised and mystical medieval world. All are fantastically given, though the technical discussions inbetween could do with a bit less woollyness (academics, am I right).
Tolkien's translations of the poems are unique in that they were (are?) one of the few that focused less on literal translation and more on keeping the structure, meter and rhyme intact. Hence, these poems are great for reading out loud to get the great sounds and mouthfeel out. Sir Gawain features an old anglo-saxon alliterative scheme, while Pearl is a more traditional rhyme (but structured in such a way that every five stanzas feature a theme), and Sir Orfeo incorporates more of a regular rhyming scheme.
Sir Gawain is about the eponymous knight and his 'tryst' with the Green Knight, a mysterious and magical creature that challenges him to a lethal game of courtesy. This particular medieval version puts a lot of emphasis on the rules of courtesy and how they interact with, and sometimes contradict, typical Christian virtues, and how Gawain deals with that. Pearl is about a vision a man has of heaven and the subsequent theological discussion he has with his dead daughter. Sir Orfeo is a medieval, probably originally French, retelling of the classical myth of Orpheus, but set in a romanticised and mystical medieval world. All are fantastically given, though the technical discussions inbetween could do with a bit less woollyness (academics, am I right).