John Lesslie Hall (March 2, 1856 – February 23, 1928), also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Jacob Hall, Jr., Hall attended Randolph–Macon College and received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University. He taught English history and literature at the College of William & Mary from 1888 to 1928 (becoming head of the English department and dean of the faculty, and receiving an honorary LLD in 1921); he "was one of the original members of the faculty which reopened the college in 1888".[1] He was also concerned with the history of his native Virginia; he frequently spoke at Jamestown and "compared Jamestown's Great Charter of 1618[clarification needed] and the assembly of 1619 with the Magna Charta at Runnymede."[2]
In 1889 he married Margaret Fenwick Farland, of Tappahannock, Virginia.[3] Their children were Channing Moore Hall, John L. Hall Jr., Joseph Farland Hall, and Sarah Moore Hall.[4]
Hall's Beowulf follows the text closely, with alliteration:
Ðá cóm of móre under misthleoþum Grendel gongan· godes yrre bær· mynte se mánscaða manna cynnes sumne besyrwan in sele þám héan·
’Neath the cloudy cliffs came from the moor then Grendel going, God’s anger bare he. The monster intended some one of earthmen In the hall-building grand to entrap and make way with:
Selected works
(tr.) Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem (D. C. Heath, 1897)
Judas: A Drama in Five Acts (H. T. Jones, 1894)
(tr.) Judith, Phœnix, and Other Anglo-Saxon Poems (Silver, Burdett and Company, 1902)
Old English Idyls (Ginn & Company, 1899), original poems in the style of Old English verse
Half-hours in Southern History (B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., 1907)
English Usage: Studies in the History and Uses of English Words and Phrases (Scott, Foresman and Company, 1917)
Notes
^Shirley Spain, "Vice-Admiral Hall Will Deliver Address at Commencement Exercises on June 12," The Flat Hat, May 24, 1949.
^James Michael Lindgren, Preserving the Old Dominion: Historic Preservation and Virginia Traditionalism (University of Virginia Press, 1993: ISBN0-8139-1450-7), p. 97.
^Mildred Lewis Rutherford, The South in History and Literature, a Handbook of Southern Authors, from the Settlement of Jamestown 1607, to Living Writers (Franklin-Turner, 1906), p. 704.
john, lesslie, hall, march, 1856, february, 1928, also, known, lesslie, hall, american, literary, scholar, poet, known, translation, beowulf, born, richmond, virginia, jacob, hall, hall, attended, randolph, macon, college, received, from, johns, hopkins, unive. John Lesslie Hall March 2 1856 February 23 1928 also known as J Lesslie Hall was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf Born in Richmond Virginia the son of Jacob Hall Jr Hall attended Randolph Macon College and received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University He taught English history and literature at the College of William amp Mary from 1888 to 1928 becoming head of the English department and dean of the faculty and receiving an honorary LLD in 1921 he was one of the original members of the faculty which reopened the college in 1888 1 He was also concerned with the history of his native Virginia he frequently spoke at Jamestown and compared Jamestown s Great Charter of 1618 clarification needed and the assembly of 1619 with the Magna Charta at Runnymede 2 In 1889 he married Margaret Fenwick Farland of Tappahannock Virginia 3 Their children were Channing Moore Hall John L Hall Jr Joseph Farland Hall and Sarah Moore Hall 4 Hall s Beowulf follows the text closely with alliteration Grendel reaches Heorot Beowulf 710 714 Old English verse Hall s verse 5 Da com of more under misthleothum Grendel gongan godes yrre baer mynte se manscada manna cynnes sumne besyrwan in sele tham hean Neath the cloudy cliffs came from the moor then Grendel going God s anger bare he The monster intended some one of earthmen In the hall building grand to entrap and make way with Selected works Edit tr Beowulf An Anglo Saxon Epic Poem D C Heath 1897 Judas A Drama in Five Acts H T Jones 1894 tr Judith Phœnix and Other Anglo Saxon Poems Silver Burdett and Company 1902 Old English Idyls Ginn amp Company 1899 original poems in the style of Old English verse Half hours in Southern History B F Johnson Publishing Co 1907 English Usage Studies in the History and Uses of English Words and Phrases Scott Foresman and Company 1917 Notes Edit Shirley Spain Vice Admiral Hall Will Deliver Address at Commencement Exercises on June 12 The Flat Hat May 24 1949 James Michael Lindgren Preserving the Old Dominion Historic Preservation and Virginia Traditionalism University of Virginia Press 1993 ISBN 0 8139 1450 7 p 97 Mildred Lewis Rutherford The South in History and Literature a Handbook of Southern Authors from the Settlement of Jamestown 1607 to Living Writers Franklin Turner 1906 p 704 rootsweb Beowulf An Anglo Saxon Epic Poem Project GutenbergExternal links EditJohn Lesslie Hall Papers 1885 1928 at the Special Collections Research Center of the College of William and Mary Works by John Lesslie Hall at Project Gutenberg Works by John Lesslie Hall at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Works by or about John Lesslie Hall at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Lesslie Hall amp oldid 1122776658, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
