Originally published in 1939, Early Middle English Literature examines literature from the period of 1066 to 1300 and addresses the transition between Old and Middle English.

1. The Effects of the Conquest 2. The Anglo-Latin Background 3. The Anglo-French Background 4. Legal and Historical Survivals 5. The Continuity of the Homilectic Tradition 6. The Ancren Riwle and its Influence 7. The Owl and the Nightingale 8. Religious and Didactic Literature 9. Romance 10. Tales and Fables 11. Lyric Poetry 12. The Beginnings of the Drama 13. Conclusion Index