A reissue of the popular 1969 volume, this anthology covers a wide range of Middle English literature. Selections are numerous enough to allow professors great variation in the readings for individual courses. The supplementary references include comparative media, since literature forms only a part of the whole cultural context.

Ann Haskell has not altered the language into a common mold. She has, however, supplied punctuation, capitalization, and accent marks when necessary to aid in comprehension by the inexperienced reader.