Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
We just finished studying Sir Gawain & the Green Knight in my literature class. Because it was short and we have many titles on the syllabus, we spent but one short week discussing it. Therefore, we hit the main points and were able to discuss the important topics; however, we were unable to delve into the deep richness of the story. My students are probably hooray-ing right now, if they read this, but it leaves me sad.
Sir Gawain would make it on my top-10 favorite books list, if I had such a thing. I think it would rank above Beowulf and probably even make it into the top-5. It’s short and sweet, straightforward yet complex. It has an amazing structure, combining alliteration and rhyme and visual affect.
If you’ve never read it, pick up Tolkien’s translation (it’s probably at your library) and spend a sitting or two savoring it. It’s best enjoyed aloud: alliteration always is, for oral presentation was its design.
