Letter 135b

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 135b
Recipient	Sir Basil Blackwell
Date	Not dated, 1953
Subject(s)	Henry Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Primer

Letter 135b is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

In a draft letter to Sir Basil Blackwell, Tolkien critiques the new edition of Henry Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Primer, revised by Norman Davis. Tolkien argues that the revised edition merely modernizes Sweet's original work without significant improvement. He finds the changes to the grammar presentation clear and good but criticizes the selection of texts as irrelevant to university syllabi and beginner requirements in university English programs.

Tolkien emphasizes the need for a genuinely new primer, created by someone with deep subject knowledge and teaching experience, to meet contemporary academic needs. He acknowledges Sweet's historical significance but stresses that educational standards and requirements have evolved significantly since 1882.