"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is an old-English epic poem. The version that I read was included in an old edition of the "Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 1," translated by Marie Borroff. It is beautifully written, clever and sexy, and among some of the most fun I have had reading epic poems.
Sir Gawain is one of the Arthurian knights. He is also Arthur's cousin, who claimes that he had nothing to show for himself other than his relations to the great king. On a New Year's Eve, a mysterious knight attired all in green to match his complexion shows up at the party in Arthur's court and challenges the attendees to a particular game. Gawain accepted the challenge to protect Arthur, and thus began the adventure of bravery, seduction, and honor.
This I think is a good poem to start with for those who may be reluctant to read epic poems. It is short and thoroughly entertaining. The humor mixed with a dash of eroticism keep things pretty exciting. I know of some high schools that teach "The Illiad" in English classes, and I think this is a much better choice. Why bore the kids to death with tales of war and gore? They get enough of that from TV and games.
No comments:
Post a Comment