Archaism refers to the literary usage of words and phrases that have become out of date in a given era’s standard language. For instance, Spenser purposefully used archaisms in The ‘Faerie Queene‘ to create a poetic voice fit for his revival of medieval chivalric romance. He employs archaic words from Chaucer, Wiclif, and Langland, such as “swelt”, “younglings”, “noye”, “kest”, “hurtle”, etc.
September 1, 2024
