GENRE OF THE POETRY
HEROIC, ELEGIAC, RELIGIOUS POEMS, BIBLICAL PARAPHRASES, VERSE SAINTS’ LIVES, CHARMS
HEROIC LIST
BEOWULF, THE BATTLE OF MALDON, BRUNANBURH, THE LONG PRIMARY EPIC
ELEGIAC POEMS LIST
THE SEAFARER, THE WANDERER
RELIGIOUS POEMS LIST
THE DREAM OF THE ROOD
4 MSS
The exetEr book, vercelli book, the beowulf MS=cotton vitellius A xv, the junius MS
poetic style
vocabulary compounds, formulae, diff syntax
heroic poems are part of the
germanic heritage, legends, verse making, style, verse form
verse form of germanic heritage
4-stress alliterative line
heroic lays
performance about the hero of scop anglo saxon poet
heroic ladys list
widsith, deor, waldere, fight at finnsburgh
widsith
kingship, exeter book
deor
mutability of scop’s fortune, elegiac tone, ubi sunt topic
waldere
epic fragment, praise of a sword
fight at finnsburgh
fragment of a pagan lay, referred to in beowulf
longer epic poems, chronicle poems list
the battle of brunanburh, the battle of maldon
brunanburh about
the victory of king aethelstan over the joing viking-celtic forces, 937
maldon is about
byrthnoth’s fight and defeat by the viking forces, about heroic behaviour, loyalty
beowulf term
the longest complete germanic primary epic
beowulf preserved in
MS COTTON VITELLIUS A. xv
theory of beowulf
clerical person familiar with traditional ways composed the epic in its present form in writing,oral style
story of beowulf
event 6th c, from the 8th c, late 10th c
author of beowulf
refined, reflective, christian anglo-saxon poet
aims of heroic poems
records of historical evens, heroes set an example, entertainment
topics of heroic poems
desire of fame or gloryaristocratic warrior heroes, boastinglord and his retinue, kinship, feud, gift-givign
structure of heroic poems
the hero’s rise and fall suggest that even a long life is of fleeting brevity
climatic beowulf
growing challenges
conflation of history and fantasy
fictional or legendary character inserted into the historical setting,legendary setting: monsters, dragons, heroes of the germanic past
christian versus pagan
celebration of pagan heroes without endorsing their religious beliefs, delicacy of selection and emphasis
Wyrd
PAGAN DOOM OR CHRISTIAN PROVIDENCE
MYTHOLOGY
GERMANIC DEMONOLOGY, CHRISTIAN CONCEPTS OF EVIL
IRONY
MINDLY APPROVING STATEMENTS THAT SUGGESTS THE OPPOSITE
EXAMPLE ON IRONY IN BEOWULF
SCOP’S SPEECH ABOUT SIGEMUND, WHO COMMITTED INCEST
characterization with irony
hrothgar’s case
style
ornamented, manneristic, formulae, decorated speeches, 6 variations of the verse form
compounding
endless lines of synonyms warrior, sea, ship, sword
kenning
a form of compound , at least one element is metaphorical road = sea
variation
simple syntax with synonyms wordum wrixlan to vary words
four stress alliterative line
two half-lines with a caesura between them , alliteration connects 2 halves
scholars and translators of beowulf
michael j. alexander, nora kershaw, william morris, francis barton gummere
