Consider the role of cross-cultural contact in crafting an English literary tradition, examining not only Latin and French influences but also Celtic borrowings and allusions. Examine how texts from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries reflect the linguistic diversity of literacy culture in England and how authors experimented with a flexible vernacular, the course has a wide generic scope, treating examples of dream-vision, romance, and prose narrative, as well as devotional and mystical texts. NOTE: Students can obtain credit for only one of ENGL 3085 or ENGL 3040.