Anglo-Saxon Elegies,
Lyrics, and Epics
Anglo-Saxon Elegies
ELEGY
a poem mourning the loss of
someone or something such as
the passing of life, a way of life,
beauty, or anything of intrinsic
or spiritual value
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
LYRIC POETRY
Brief, melodic poems that focus on
expressing personal emotions or
thoughts, rather than telling a story.
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
Anglo-Saxon lyrics usually have some or all
of the following elements:
 Regular beat, usually four stressed or
accented syllables or beats per line,
often called “Anglo-Saxon meter.”
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
 Caesura: pause within a line of
poetry, sometimes indicated by a
punctuation mark like a period or a
semi-colon
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
 Kenning: a specialized metaphor
made of compound words or a
phrase used to name a person,
place, thing, or event indirectly.
Example: “whale road” for sea.
Refer to class handout on kennings.
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics, Epics
 Assonance: repetition of similar
vowel sounds followed by different
consonant sounds in words that
are close together
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
* Alliteration: repeated sounds at the
beginnings of words in close proximity
(within two or three lines of each
other).
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
* Hyperbole: exaggeration used for
effect
Anglo-Saxon Lyrics
* Litotes (lie-toe-tees): a special form
of understatement negating the
opposite (saying the opposite is not
true.)
Example: Summer in Central Texas is
not exactly cool.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
Epic: a long narrative poem that
recounts the great deeds of a
legendary hero who embodies
the values of a particular society
and is in pursuit of a goal of
national importance.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
Folk Epics versus Literary Epics
Folk epics: stories about heroes recited or
sung as entertainment and passed from
generation to generation by oral tradition.
Eventually, folk epics were written down
some time after they were composed.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
Folk Epics versus Literary Epics
Literary epics: have the same style and
conventions of a folk epic but are written
by an individual author
Anglo-Saxon Epics
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EPIC CONVENTIONS
Invocation of a muse
Plot begins in medias res
Serious in tone
Lofty and dignified style
Key elements of an epic include:
EPIC HERO:
the central character or
protagonist of the epic;
will be larger-than-life in a
super hero way or
of noble or
semi-divine birth.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
QUEST:
the epic hero goes on a long,
dangerous mission thereby
proving his heroism and winning
honor, respect, glory, and
renown.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
VALOROUS DEEDS:
His actions demonstrate his courage,
strength, and/or virtue.
Anglo-Saxon Epics
DIVINE INTERVENTION:
often receives help from a god,
or another supernatural force,
who takes an interest in his
quest or hero must journey to
and return from the
“Underworld.”
Anglo-Saxon Epics
MONSTERS:
the epic hero defeats monsters
that represent the dark,
destructive forces or powers
that are in opposition to the
“good.”
Anglo-Saxon Elegies, Lyrics,
and Epics
As with previous notes, these will
be supplemented and expanded as
the semester progresses.
Be sure you keep these notes in
the literature section of your
notebook.
Anglo-Saxon Elegies