Semester 2: Old English Flashcards
(34 cards)
Theme of all sections
The Seafarer- The past is better than the future
The Wanderer- Everything will die eventually
The Wifes Lament- Anger and Sorrow of a women who’s husband has punished her with exile
Beowulf- You must be true and brave
Context Clues
Clues that you can find in the reading to help you understand a certain word or concept
The Seafarer
A sailor taking about his life on the sea and how men were no longer honest like they had been in the past
The Wanderer
A man is exiled when his whole village has died and is trying to find a home
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Lyrics
were composed for easy memorization and recitation. A lyric poem expresses the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Regular Rhythms
The four strong beats in a line
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Caesuras
Pauses for breath in the middle of a line
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Kennings
Two-word poetic renmaings, like “whales’ home” for the sea
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Assonance
Repeated vowl sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry: Aliteration
Repeated inital consonants sound in stressed syllables
Elegy
A poem mourning the loss of someone or something
Anglo-Saxons and the concept of exile
- Exile is the separation from a rembered home
- It could be force upon or chossen
- It is a horrible punishment because kinsmenship ment everything to these people
- Christain monks also realted it to the exile of Adam and Eve
Anglo-Saxson and gender euquality
-Women still heavily relied on men to protect them and proved for them
Anglo-Saxon life and the idea of fate
Fate was a predestined plan of how a person’s life would play out. What was going to happen was going to happen and nothing could stop it
Quality of historical writing from the Anglo-Saxon era
- Is a great way to learn about history but is bais based on the views of the Anglo-Saxon people
- Many people have added to to story
- Monks
- other story tellers
- pieces lost in time
The concept of reconizing historical context in order to understand writings form the Anglo Saxon time period
The author must reconized the hisotry of the people to understand why certian events and objects were so important
What is the relationship between place and literature
- A place will tell the important becasue it will effect the story and show the importatnce of the land around them
- The sea
Beowulf selections
There are three sections to beowulf
- Where he battles Grendal
- Where he battles Grendal’s mother
- When he battles a dragon
The Anglo-Saxson concept of legendary hero
A larger than life character who does amazing things and acts with the times virutes and standerds. ( Loyalty, bravery, honor)
Characterisitc of an epic: Epic
a long narrative poem that recounts the adventure of a legendary hero in pursuit of a goal of national importantce
Characterisitc of an epic: Epic hero
The epic heo is the central character of an epic. This perosn is larger than life, typically of noble or semidive brith, who puts his courage skills, and virues against oppsoing, often evil, forces
Characterisitc of an epic: Quest
A long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the epic hero. The quest gives the hero an opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown
Characterisitc of an epic: Valorous deeds
Actions demostrate the hero’s courage, strenght, or virute and make up most of hte action in the narrative
Characterisitc of an epic: Divine intervention
The hero will recieves help from a god of another superanturla force who takes interest in his quest