Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A New Verse Translation in Modern English

Gr 7 Up—Ridland's new verse translation brings this beloved Arthurian legend to a new generation. In the introduction, Ridland explains in detail how he adapted the classic from Middle English, offering a few close readings of lines along the way to demonstrate his translation process. Readers will learn about the history of Middle English, its evolution into modern English, and how famous writers like W.H. Auden and J.R.R. Tolkien incorporated Middle English poetry techniques (e.g., alliterative verse) into their works. While comprehensive, the text is better suited toward readers already well acquainted with poetry techniques and terms. The tale is broken into four parts, with an illustration accompanying the beginning of each one. The illustrations stay true to the fantasy genre style, with lots of beasts and muscular men. The story itself is wonderfully complex and filled with adventure.