Date of Award

Spring 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

5-11-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School/Department

Department of English

Program

English

First Advisor

Helene Scheck

Second Advisor

Ineke Murakami

Keywords

English, Old English, Translation, Genesis B

Subject Categories

English Language and Literature | Literature in English, British Isles

Abstract

The anonymous Old English poem known as “Genesis B” comes down to us as one of the most inherently human retellings of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Despite this, the piece is seldom read by the average twenty-first century middle-school learner. The poem, originally penned in Old English, has been translated into modern English numerous times, yet as I read through a variety of these translations, they all seemed to downplay the human element which I found intriguing. Thus, I created my own translation of “Genesis B” with a more general audience in mind, looking to create something that readers of all kinds could understand and enjoy and relate to. Thus, I anchor my prose translation around the emotional natures of each individual character, making use of their speech to demonstrate how their emotions are what drive their choices and actions.

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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