Unit 1 – Literary Terms Sheet
Anglo-Saxon Literature (Beowulf)
Anglo-Saxon lyrics- started as spoken poems that were easy to memorize
Scops- storytellers who traveled from town to town; they were expected to know a broad
range of tales; they were the entertainers of Anglo-Saxon times.
Heroic Poetry- Tells the tales of warriors and heroes.
Elegiac Poetry- a type of lyric poem where the loss of someone or something is mourned
Caesura- a break in the line of poetry
Kenning- a two-word metaphor used as a clever way to rename something familiar
sea = “whale’s home”
messy hair = “bird’s nest”
Epic poem- long narrative poem
- cannot be told in one sitting
- tales are complex, involving several main characters, taking place over vast
settings, and spanning over many years
- many epics tell of the adventures of heroes
- sometimes contains supernatural forces such as gods, angels, and demons
who interest themselves in the action and even step in from time to time
Epic Hero:
-
able to conquer most problems he/she encounters
does not possess any “super” powers
is faithful to his/her family, county and god
is brave, engaged in courageous actions
defeats evil and allows goodness to prevail
is intelligent or cunning
honorable, noble
is sometimes guided by a higher force