Revisiting Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Anglo-Saxon literature covers literary writings in Old English, or from c.650 to c.1100. This is the 600-year period of Britain from the mid-5th century to the Norman Conquest of 1066, and works in this period include genres such as epic poetry, sermons, Bible translations, chronicles, and riddles. About 400 manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon time still exist today.

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There are generally two types of Old English poetry: the heroic (sourced from pre-Christian Germanic myth, history, and custom) and the Christian. Almost all Old English poetry is preserved in a mere four manuscripts – namely the Exeter Book, the Junius Manuscript, the Vercelli Book, and the Beowulf manuscript – but much of it is deemed of high literary value and quality. Old English heroic poetry, for instance, is the earliest extant in Germanic literature, serving as the closest one can come to the oral pagan literature of Germanic culture.

Beowulf, likely produced between 700 and 750, is the oldest surviving Germanic epic as well as the longest Old English poem. Other great examples of Old English poetry are The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Battle of Maldon, and The Dream of the Rood. Two popular poets from this period are Caedmon, deemed the first Old English Christian poet, and Cynewulf.

Old English poetry’s verse form is an alliterative line of four stressed syllables and an unfixed number of unstressed syllables interrupted by a caesura and arranged in one of different patterns. The lines are end-stopped and unrhymed, and the whole form lends itself to narrative, or the absence of lyric poetry in Old English.

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John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri is a student of comparative literature. It is his goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. Learn more about English literature on this

Biblical Allusions Within C. S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe”

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An allusion is a literary device wherein an author pertains to a particular subject indirectly or without explicitly mentioning it. Allusions are often used in poetry alongside metaphors. However, spotting particularly themed allusions can be difficult when discussing prose. To further explain this idea, let’s look at Biblical allusions used by C. S. Lewis in his novel “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Midway through the narrative, Edmund betrays his siblings and joins forces with the White Witch. This is an allusion to Judas and his betrayal of Jesus with the White Witch pertaining to Satan. The White Witch’s lair is also a stark contrast to hell as it is cold, ice-filled, and yet equally filled with minions and trapped souls.

The theme of resurrection is also apparent when Aslan sacrifices himself to the White Witch, just as Jesus did in return for mankind’s redemption. In the scene, Aslan is humiliated, his mane cut away just as Jesus was stripped of his clothes when he was burdened with the cross.

Image source: narnia.wikia.com

Lastly, the dangers of the sin of gluttony appear early in the narrative when Edmund gobbles the Turkish Delights as he begins his service to the White Witch. He also does this after leaving her. This may also be symbolic of the sin of consumption committed by Adam and Eve.

Hi there! My name is John Eilermann, and I’m from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m currently working on getting a degree in comparative literature. It is my goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. For more fascinating reads on literature, visit this blog.