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How to Use tHis Book
The Facts On File Companion to British Poetry before 1600
is part of a four-volume set on British poetry from its
beginning to the present. This particular volume cov-
ers poetry written during the anglo-Saxon, middle
english, and early renaissance (Tudor) literary peri-
ods in the area traditionally referred to as the British
isles, which includes england, ireland, Scotland, and
Wales.
Today’s Great Britain includes Wales, Scotland,
england, and Northern ireland. The republic of
ireland has been independent since 1921. The issue
of what, exactly, makes up “British literature” is a
complicated one. certainly, the first “British” people
were celtic in origin, and the word itself derives
from the people who populated a region that is now
in northern France (Brittany). after the Germanic
invasions (traditional date 449 c.e.), the angles and
Saxons melded into a singular culture that pushed
the celtic Britons into the further reaches of Wales,
cornwall, and Scotland. as they expanded outward,
the anglo-Saxons tended to absorb the native culture;
thus, arthur—originally Welsh in origin—became
an anglo-Saxon hero. certainly, the anglo-Saxons,
and, later, the english, embarked upon campaigns of
military conquest against the various celtic peoples
and over the years subjugated Wales, ireland, and
Scotland. By the time James Stuart took the throne
as James i in 1603, he was styled King of england,
Scotland, and ireland (Wales, as an annexed principal-
ity, was not part of the monarchial title). in essence,
english culture was one of colonization, starting with
the original Germanic invasions.
recent criticism has striven to present ireland and
irish literature within the context of postcolonial
studies, and these ideas have been extended to Welsh
and Scottish literary productions too. Despite being
problematic, however, the term British is the one used
most often, if just for convenience sake. Part of the dif-
ficulty with the discussion also stems from differences
in viewing terms from an american standpoint versus
an english, irish, Welsh, or Scottish one. universities
in the united Kingdom and the republic of ireland
tend to separate english studies from celtic studies;
however, that same separation is rarer in american
colleges and universities. in fact, one of the traditional
staples of the american curriculum is the “British liter-
ature survey,” which generally includes celtic contexts.
Thus, British literature is a loosely used term in the
united States, without any overt politically disruptive
intent. This is not an excuse, per se, but rather more
of an explanation, and one that certainly warrants fur-
ther discussion. in the meantime, however, the reality
is that the celtic literatures are often grouped under
the heading “British.” although not an ideal solution,
i suggest that it is preferable to excluding the literature
altogether, or to grouping it under the title “english”
literature. even “literature written in english” is exclu-
sionary, especially in the medieval and renaissance
eras, when so much literary production took place in