Anglo-Saxon Poetry: Difference between revisions

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Some lines contained four stressed syllables per half line. These are called ''hypermetric'' lines, and were used either for dramatic effect, or simply to add variety.
Some lines contained four stressed syllables per half line. These are called ''hypermetric'' lines, and were used either for dramatic effect, or simply to add variety.


==Other Poetic Elements==
==Other Poetic Elements==

As with other Germanic poetry, Anglo-Saxon poetry makes use of [[kenning]]s, although they are quite often of a formulaic nature.
As with other Germanic poetry, Anglo-Saxon poetry makes use of [[kenning]]s, although they are quite often of a formulaic nature.

Later Anglo-Saxon poems occasionally used rhyme.
Later Anglo-Saxon poems occasionally used rhyme.


==Performance==
==Performance==
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Anglo-Saxon poetry appears to have been performed accompanied by a [[harp]]. A passage from [[Beowulf]] seems to indicate that it was perfectly valid to make up sections of an established poem on the spot.
Anglo-Saxon poetry appears to have been performed accompanied by a [[harp]]. A passage from [[Beowulf]] seems to indicate that it was perfectly valid to make up sections of an established poem on the spot.


==Manuscript Sources==
==Manuscript Sources==
Most Anglo-Saxon poetry appears in one of four manuscripts:

* [[Beowulf manuscript]]
Most Anglo-Saxon poetry appears in one of four manuscripts:
* [[MS Junius XI]]

# [[Boewulf]]
* [[The Exeter Book]]
# [[MS Junius XI]]
* [[The Vercelli Book]]
# [[The Exeter Book]]
===Specific examples===
# [[The Vercelli Book]]
* [[Battle of Brunnanburh]]

* [[Battle of Maldon]]
===Specific examples===
* [[Beowulf]]

* [[Battle of Brunnanburh]]
* [[Dream of the Rood]]
* [[Battle of Maldon]]
==External Links==
* [[Beowulf]]
* [ftp://ftp.std.com/WWW/obi/Anglo-Saxon/aspr/contents.html The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry]
* [[Dream of the Rood]]
* [http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=766 Atlantian A&S Links: Anglo-Saxon/Old English Poetry]


==Related Links==
==References==
* [http://www.jstor.org/stable/432588 The Transformation of Scriptural Story, Motive, and Conception in Anglo-Saxon Poetry] by Arthur R. Skemp, Modern Philology, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan., 1907), pp. 423-470, The University of Chicago Press


[[Category:Poetry]] [[Category:Old English]]
* [ftp://ftp.std.com/WWW/obi/Anglo-Saxon/aspr/contents.html The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry]

Latest revision as of 15:02, 10 May 2013

The entire body of Anglo-Saxon poetry consists of little more than 30 000 lines. It is by nature alliterative rather than rhyming. It catches the Anglo-Saxon people either side of their conversion to Christianity, and so includes both devout Christian works and a darker Pagan worldview.

Meter

Every line of Anglo-Saxon poetry was split into two half-lines. Most of these contained at least four syllables, two of which were stressed. There was always alliteration between the one of the stressed syllables of the first half-line and the first stressed syllable of the second half line. The second stressed syllable of the second half line sometimes alliterated with the other stressed syllable of the first half-line.

Some lines contained four stressed syllables per half line. These are called hypermetric lines, and were used either for dramatic effect, or simply to add variety.


Other Poetic Elements

As with other Germanic poetry, Anglo-Saxon poetry makes use of kennings, although they are quite often of a formulaic nature.

Later Anglo-Saxon poems occasionally used rhyme.

Performance

Anglo-Saxon poetry appears to have been performed accompanied by a harp. A passage from Beowulf seems to indicate that it was perfectly valid to make up sections of an established poem on the spot.

Manuscript Sources

Most Anglo-Saxon poetry appears in one of four manuscripts:

Specific examples

External Links

References