Michael Joseph Alexander (born 1941) is a British translator, poet, academic and broadcaster. He held the Berry Chair of English Literature at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

until his retirement in 2003. He is best known for his translations of '' Beowulf'' and other Anglo-Saxon poems into modern English verse. He was educated at

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Original ...

, read English at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

, then spent a year in France and in Italy, attending the

University of Perugia University of Perugia (Italian ''Università degli Studi di Perugia'') is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale. Th ...

. He then spent some years working in the publishing industry in London, interrupted by attending

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

. Before taking up his post at St. Andrews he was a lecturer at the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built ...

. For many years he was a member of the Scottish team in Radio 4's ''Round Britain'' quiz show.

Beowulf translation

Alexander states that his verse translation of '' Beowulf'' imitated the form of the original, "stimulated by the example of Ezra Pound's version of he Old English poem' The Seafarer'". The scholar Hugh Magennis calls Alexander's translation "accessible but not reductive", notes that it sold "hundreds of thousands" of copies and that it was liked by both students and teachers, and devotes a whole chapter of his book on translating ''Beowulf'' to it.

Works

;Criticism, scholarship, educational *''The Poetic Achievement of Ezra Pound'' (1979) *''York Notes on Geoffrey Chaucer's "Prologue to the Canterbury Tales"'' (1999, with Mary Alexander) *''A History Of English Literature'' (2000, 2007, 2013) *''A History of Old English Literature'' (2002) *''Mediaevalism: The Middle Ages in Modern England'' (2007) *''Reading Shakespeare'' (2013) ;Poetry *''Twelve Poems'' (1978) ;Editions *''Beowulf: A Glossed Text'' (1995, revised 2000) ;Translations *''The Earliest English Poems'' (1966, revised 1977, 1991) *''Beowulf: A Verse Translation'' (1973, revised 2001) *''Old English Riddles from the Exeter Book'' (1980, revised 2007)

References

External links

Biography

University of St Andrews Faculty Page
Academics of the University of St Andrews Living people Alumni of the University of Oxford University of Perugia alumni Princeton University alumni People educated at Downside School Translators from Old English Academics of the University of Stirling 1941 births British translators British radio presenters {{UK-translator-stub