Beowulf Literary Terms Flashcards
epic
a long narrative poem that celebrates the deeds of an heroic figure; generally written in an elevated style w/ an episodic structure; often opens in media res or in the middle of things
can be classified as primary and secondary
the term epic applies most accurately to classical Greek texts like the Iliad & the Odyssey. however, some critics have applied the term more loosely. the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf has also been called an epic of Anglo-Saxon culture, Milton’s Paradise Lost has been seen as an epic of Christian culture, & Shakespeare’s various History Plays have been collectively called an epic of Ren. Britain. other Ex’s include Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered & the anonymous Epic of Gilgamesh, which is the oldest example known
the qualities of an epic hero
- unusual background - perhaps orphaned, suffered a great tragedy in youth
- special power/ability that sets him/her above ordinary humans
- goes on a quest - generally involves the triumph of good over evil
- literally/figuratively descends into the underworld - often this descent initiates a change in the hero
- a role model who embodies the values of his/her society
primary epic
refers to folk epics, i.e., versions of an epic narrative that were transmitted orally in pre-literate cultures
secondary epic
refers to literary epics, i.e., versions that are actually written down rather than chanted or sung
often retain elements of oral-formulaic transmission, such as staggered intervals in which the poet summarizes earlier events, & standardized epithets & phrases
epithet
a short, poetic nickname in the form of an adjective or adjectival phrase attached to the normal name. frequently, allows a poet to extend a line by a few syllables in a poetic manner that characterizes an individual or a setting w/in an epic poem
don’t confuse w/ epitaph/epigram
Homeric epithet
in classical literature
often includes compounds of 2 words such as, “fleet-footed Achilles,” “cow-eyed Hera,” “Grey-eyed Athena,” or “the wine-dark sea.”
In other cases, appears as a phrase, such as “Odysseus the man-of-many-wiles.”
historical epithet
a descriptive phrase attached to a ruler’s name
Ex: King Alfred the Great, Duke Lorenzo the Magnificent, etc.
in media res
Latin for “in the middle[s] of things”. The classical tradition of opening an epic isn’t in the chronological pt @ which the sequence of events would start, but rather @ the midway pt of the story. later on in the narrative, the hero will recount verbally to others what events took place earlier
usually a technique used to heighten dramatic tension/create a sense of mystery
opposite of the phrase ab ovo, when a story begins in the beginning & then proceeds in a strictly chronological manner w/out using the characters’ dialogue, flashbacks, or memories
remember to contrast w/ flashback, in which past events r experienced as a memory, & anastrophe, in which the entire story is cut into chronological pieces & experienced in a seemingly random or inverted pattern
foil
a character/situation that through strong contrast underscores/enhances the distinctive traits of another character/situation
1st, must be a pt of comparison before the strong contrast can be made
Ex: in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Laertes, the unthinking man of action, is a foil to the intelligent but reluctant Hamlet. the angry hothead Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I, is the foil to the cool & calculating Prince Hal
Anglo-Saxon poetry
alliterative verse
Old English verse consists of 4 accented syllables per line, w/ a caesura separating the first 2 accented syllables from the last 2 accented syllables
relies on frequent alliteration & word play, but not a set rhyme scheme
largely died out in English w/in a few centuries of the Norman Conquest of 1066. the Normans introduced continental conventions of poetry, including rhyme & couplets. the last surge of alliterative poetry in the native English tradition is known as the alliterative revival during the Middle English period. this period produced works like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
rhythm
a term designating the pattern of stressed & unstressed syllables in verse of prose
diff lines of verse can have the same meter but a diff rhythm. thus 2 lines of alliterative verse in Middle English poetry might have the same metrical pattern of 4 stressed syllables, but their rhythm might differ by having a greater/lesser # of unstressed syllables intervening b/w the stressed syllables
caesura (plural - caesurae)
a pause/breathing-place abt the middle of a metrical line, generally indicated by a pause in the sense
important part of poetic rhythm
effect can be quite violent
however in many lines of blank verse the caesura may be almost inaudible
some editors will indicate a caesura by inserting a slash (/) in the middle of a poetic line. others insert extra space in this location, while still others don’t indicate the caesura typographically at all
medial caesura
the norm
occurs in the middle of a line
initial caesura
occurs near the start of a line
terminal caesura
near its end
masculine caesura
occurs after a stressed syllable
feminine caesura
occurs after an unstressed syllable
alliteration
repeating a consonant sound in close proximity to others, or beginning several words w/ the same vowel sound
poets often use alliteration to audibly represent the action that’s taking place
may also use alliteration to call attention to a phrase & fix it into a reader’s mind; thus, useful for emphasis
head rhyme
most frequently, involves the sounds @ the beginnings of words in close proximity to each other.
alliteration in which the 1st letters of words r the same (as opposed to consonants alliterating in the middles or ends of words)
consonance
if alliteration also involves changes in the intervening vowels b/w repeated consonants
compounding
the creation of a new word that comes about by taking 2 common words & sticking them together to create a brand new concept
all languages do this to some extent. however, Germanic languages & poetry (including derivatives like Old English) r particularly prone to creating new words this way
poets regularly invent new words by compounding to create artificial words of their own
kenning
a form of compounding in Anglo-Saxon poetry
the poet creates a new compound word/phrase to describe an object/activity
specifically, this compound uses mixed imagery to describe the prop’s of the obj in indirect, imaginative, or enigmatic ways. the resulting word = somewhat like a riddle since the reader must stop & think for a minute to determine what the obj is
may involve conjoining 2 types of dissimilar imagery: extended metaphor, or mixed metaphor
particularly common in Old English lit & Viking poetry
meiosis
an understatement
the presentation of a thing w/ under emphasis in order to achieve a greater effect, such as, “the building of the pyramids took a little bit of effort.”
just as hyperbole can underscore a truth by overstatement, the meiosis achieves the same affect w/ understatement
Ex: “I was somewhat worried when the psychopath ran toward me with a chainsaw.”
litotes
a type of meiosis in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary or, in other words, a thing is affirmed by stating the neg. of its opp.
Ex: someone is “not unhappy” or Shakespeare is a poet of “no small stature” or Einstein is “not a bad mathematician”
paradox
a statement that while seemingly contradictory or absurd may actually be well-founded or true
employs contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense
common paradoxes seem to reveal a deeper truth thru their contradictions
Ex: “Without laws, we can have no freedom.” “Cowards die many time times before their deaths.”
black humor
the use of the morbid & the absurd for darkly comic purposes; refers as much to the tone of anger & bitterness as it does to the grotesque & morbid situations, whic often deal w/ suffering, anxiety, & death
motif
a recurring obj, concept, or structure in a work of lit
may also be 2 contrasting elements in a work, such as good & evil
Ex: In the Book of Genesis, recurring motif of separation & water
important cuz allows 1 to see main points & themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one might be able to interpret the work more accurately
in Beowulf: fratricide
the 4 qualities of Anglo-Saxon poetry
- rhythm (2 beats, pause, 2 beats)
- no rhyme
- 4 stressed, 5-6 unstressed
- stressed & important syllables in lines often alliterated
appositive
a noun/noun phrase set beside another noun/pronoun to explain or identify it
in Beowulf, the original noun is often deleted
diff’s among appositives, epithets, & kennings
appos - noun/noun phrase
kenning - nouns put together; metaphor, not as literal; fully describe something
Ex: whale-road
epithet - adjective/ adjectival phrase
epithets - work as adj’s
kennings & [appositives?] - work as nouns
kennings are a subset of appos’
kenning tips
write EVERYTHING
give literal def, comparison/parallels, also
include verb
session
Irish traditional music sessions are mostly informal gathering at which ppl play Irish traditional music
