Textuality » 3A Interacting
1. When was Beowulf composed?
The epic poem "Beowulf" was probably composed sometime during the 7th century, but the written version dates from the 10th century.
2. How could the Anglo-Saxon poet compose his song in front of an audience without much preparation?
The poet could compose his song in front of an audience thanks to "scop", and the audience delighted in refined technical poetic devices.
3. Describe the form of a typical Anglo-Saxon line.
The rhythmic structure of the Anglo-Saxon line is organized by stress and alliteration. Each line is divided into two parts (distichs) by a a heavy caesura.
A caesura- from the Latin for "cut,"is a strong break or pause in a line.
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5. What are the basic features of an epic poem like Beowulf?
Like the other epics of classical times, in Beowulf the protagonist is a hero who is larger than life and who is brave and wise, the setting is vast, the action involves noble and even superhuman deeds as well as supernatural creatures or forces, and the style is elevated.
6. What kind of role did the poet have in Anglo-Saxon society?
Beowulf may have been carried to England in the form of ballads by the Anglo-Saxons; or it may be Scandinavian material, later brought in by Danish or Norwegian pirates.
Anglo-Saxon poetry was oral, so the characteristics of an oral style were imposed mainly by the necessity to keep chanting without stopping.
The "scop", the equivalent of the bard in Anglo-Saxon times, was a powerful figure, beloved of kings. He kept the histories and the legendary stories in his head, and could be called upon at any time or recreate these stories or to create new ones,using the complicated rhythmic rhymes of that culture.