Textuality » 3A Interacting
Es 1
1) Beowulf was composed sometime during the 7th century.
2) Because Anglo Saxon poetry was oral. The characteristic of an oral style were imposed mainly by the necessity to keep chanting without stopping.
3) The line in Anglo Saxon poem were divided into two parts that were bound by alliteration. This division is referred to as cesura. Alliteration fell only on stressed key words and was the main formal device. Rhythm was based on the number of stressed syllables, two in each half line.
4) kenning is a poetic sentence that substitute a noun with a metaphor
5) In a Epic poem like Beowulf the basic features are the presence in the poem of an hero and the description of his epic deeds.
6) The poets were considered the voice and memory of a tribe.