Anglo-Saxon
Literary Terms
Epic Poem
A long narrative poem that recounts, in
formal language, the exploits of a largerthan-life hero.
Folk Epics
Have no certain authorship and arise,
usually through storytelling, from the
collective experiences of a people.
Example: Beowulf
Literary Epics
Written down by known authors
Example: Paradise Lost by
John Milton
Characteristics of Epics
• begins in “medias res” (in the middle
of things)
• begins with an invocation to a Muse
• content is concerned with the fate of a
nation or a people
• set on a large scale, ranging around
the world
Characteristics Con’t
• the intervention of
supernatural figures
• extended similes
• long catalogues (lists)
• extensive battle scenes
• stock episodes
Epic Boast
A self-admiring speech given by
the hero of an epic for the
purpose of glorifying himself.
Caesura
A natural break in a line
of poetry which helps
to provide rhythm
Lament
A song or poem that expresses
grief or regret
In its verb form, it means “to cry
or grieve.”
Elegy
A type of lyric poem which is
usually a formal mourning
for someone’s death
Archetype
An original pattern or model
from which all other things of
the same kind are made
Example: The film was one of the
archetypes of the American Western.
Quest
A journey one undertakes with
the intention of seeking
something
Example: the Holy Grail
Mead
The fermented beverage
made of water, honey, malt,
and yeast.
Comitaus
An agreement between a lord
and his thanes in which the
thanes swear to protect the
lord, while the lord provides
protection, wealth, and
weapons
Kenning
The metaphoric and often
creative compound re-naming
of an ordinary object
Examples: bird’s nest (hair)
sea road (ocean)
ring-giver (king)
Ecclesiastical
Having to do with the church
Epithet
A word or phrase, often
disparaging or abusive,
which expresses a
character trait of someone
or something
Vocation
A profession that is often
seen as a calling by those
who carry it out
Examples: minister, teacher,
fireman, policeman
Since the Anglo-Saxon
people had no form of
written language in the
beginning, they relied on
oral tradition to pass
down stories and songs.
Motif
A theme, character type, image,
metaphor, or other verbal
element that recurs throughout
a single work of literature or
occurs in a number of different
works over a period of time
Icon
This shape can be said to be an
“icon” because it is easily
associated with the word
“Stop”