Characteristics of Anglo–Saxon Poetry
· An epic is a long narrative poem that tells the great deeds of a larger than life hero, who embodies the values of a particular culture.
· Characteristics of an epic
· deals with a significant event for the culture or mankind in general
· source is typically a combination of history and myth
· includes dramatization and interpretation through dialogue
· elements of the supernatural
· may include battles of major proportions
· may begin with a statement of theme or an invocation to some spiritual power
· style of language is dignified, formal, and makes use of elaborate rhetorical devices
· The epic hero is the central figure in an epic who has superior qualities and risks personal danger to pursue a grand quest.
· Characteristics of an epic hero
· great leader
· broad setting
· hero does great deeds in battle
· gods or supernatural beings are usually involved
· story told in heightened language
· Beowulf as an Epic Hero
· superior physical strength
· very ethical
· must defeat monsters that embody dark powers
· glorified by the people he saves
· Several literary devices were used to help scops memorize these tales
o Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together in a poem or the repetition of consonant sounds that are similar.
· “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.”
o Compounding occurs when two words are merged to create a new word
· doghouse, barefoot, backstabbing
· foerhseoc – “life-sick” or mortally wounded
o Kennings are special kinds of metaphors that use compound words, prepositional phrases, or possessives to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.
· banhus – “bone-house” or the human body (compounding)
· “candle of heaven” – the sun (prepositional phrase)
· “whale’s road” – the ocean (possessive)
o A Caesura is a strong pause in a line of verse, like a rest functions in music. It usually separates the line in two in Anglo-Saxon verse.
o Rhythm is the accented syllables or beats in a line