Poetics P . S. Langeslag Stylistic Devices Cdmons Hymn Nu sculon - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Poetics

P . S. Langeslag

Stylistic Devices

Variation

The use of multiple words or phrases to express the same thing within a single sentence.

Cædmon’s Hymn

Nu sculon herigean heofonrices weard, meotodes meahte and his modgeþanc, weorc wuldorfæder, swa he wundra gehwæs, 3 ece drihten,

• r onstealde.

He ærest sceop eorðan bearnum heofon to hrofe, halig scyppend; 6 þa middangeard moncynnes weard, ece drihten, æfuer teode fjrum foldan, fsea ælmihtig. 9

Variation

The use of multiple words or phrases to express the same thing within a single sentence.

Cædmon’s Hymn

Nu sculon herigean heofonrices weard, meotodes meahte and his modgeþanc, weorc wuldorfæder, swa he wundra gehwæs, 3 ece drihten,

• r onstealde.

He ærest sceop eorðan bearnum heofon to hrofe, halig scyppend; 6 þa middangeard moncynnes weard, ece drihten, æfuer teode fjrum foldan, fsea ælmihtig. 9

Litotes

Negation by understatement / denial of the opposite. (1) mǣte werode (2) lȳt swigode (3) lȳt ǣnig mearn

Paranomasia

Word play relying on similar-sounding words or multiple meanings of one word. (4) On rōde ahēng rodora waldend (5) Ūs is riht micel ðæt wē rodera weard, wereda wuldorcining, wordum herigen

Prosopopoeia

Endowing an inanimate object with human attributes or feelings. ▶ Any riddle in which an object speaks in the fjrst person (saga hwæt ic hātte) ▶ The speaking, sufgering cross in Dream of the Rood

Kenning

A noun phrase or compound noun consisting of a base word and a modifjer; the base word functions as an analogue to and metaphor for the concept intended, but its metaphorical target is only made clear by the modifjer. ▶ wæghengest etc. ▶ feorgbold etc. ▶ bānhūs etc. ▶ hildeleoma etc. ▶ wegfmota, sundwudu ▶ helmberend ▶ hæþstapa ▶ ? woruldcandel

Heiti

A simpler circumlocution that does not answer to the requirements of the kenning; in Old Norse poetry, typically a one-word metaphor without a modifjer to explain its connection. ▶ Any Old Norse words for “tree” ▶ ? OE wegfmota, sundwudu etc.

Kenning

A noun phrase or compound noun consisting of a base word and a modifjer; the base word functions as an analogue to and metaphor for the concept intended, but its metaphorical target is only made clear by the modifjer. ▶ wæghengest etc. ▶ feorgbold etc. ▶ bānhūs etc. ▶ hildeleoma etc. ▶ wegfmota, sundwudu ▶ helmberend ▶ hæþstapa ▶ ? woruldcandel

Heiti

A simpler circumlocution that does not answer to the requirements of the kenning; in Old Norse poetry, typically a one-word metaphor without a modifjer to explain its connection. ▶ Any Old Norse words for “tree” ▶ ? OE wegfmota, sundwudu etc.

Ubi sunt (qui ante fuerunt)

Hwar syndon þas rican caseres and þa cyningas þe iu wæron, oððe þa ealdormenn þe bebodu setton? hwar his heora domera domstow? hwar is heora ofermedla butan mid moldan beþeht and on witum gewrecen? […] Hwar com middaneardes gestreon? Hwar com þyssere woruld welan? Hwar com foldan fægernyss? Hwar comon þa þæ geornlicost æhta tyledon and oðrum efu yrfe læfdon? (Napier homily 49)

Chiasmus

Any construction in which elements assume an ABBA order. (6) Syllic wæs se sigebeam,

• nd ic synnum fah

(Dream of the Rood l. 13)

Poetic Form

Verse Form

Rhythm

▶ Two verses per long line (separated by a caesura) ▶ Two lifus (= beats, stresses) per verse ▶ Variable number of unstressed syllables

Alliteration

▶ One or both lifus in the a-verse ▶ First lifu in the b-verse ▶ Vowels alliterate among themselves ▶ sc, sp, st keep to themselves Scýld Scéfjng scéaþena þréatum, sc-alliteration mónegum mǽgþum, méodosetla ofuéah, égsode éorlas, syððan ǽrest wéarð vowel alliteration féasceafu fúnden. He þæs frófse gebád, wéox under wólcnum, wéorðmyndum þáh,

• ðþæt him ǽghwỳlc

ýmbsìttendra vowel alliteration

• fer hrónràde

hýran scólde, gómban gýldan. Þæt wæs gód cýning!

Verse Form

Rhythm

▶ Two verses per long line (separated by a caesura) ▶ Two lifus (= beats, stresses) per verse ▶ Variable number of unstressed syllables

Alliteration

▶ One or both lifus in the a-verse ▶ First lifu in the b-verse ▶ Vowels alliterate among themselves ▶ sc, sp, st keep to themselves Scýld Scéfjng scéaþena þréatum, sc-alliteration mónegum mǽgþum, méodosetla ofuéah, égsode éorlas, syððan ǽrest wéarð vowel alliteration féasceafu fúnden. He þæs frófse gebád, wéox under wólcnum, wéorðmyndum þáh,

• ðþæt him ǽghwỳlc

ýmbsìttendra vowel alliteration

• fer hrónràde

hýran scólde, gómban gýldan. Þæt wæs gód cýning!

Verse Form

Rhythm

▶ Two verses per long line (separated by a caesura) ▶ Two lifus (= beats, stresses) per verse ▶ Variable number of unstressed syllables

Alliteration

▶ One or both lifus in the a-verse ▶ First lifu in the b-verse ▶ Vowels alliterate among themselves ▶ sc, sp, st keep to themselves Scýld Scéfjng scéaþena þréatum, sc-alliteration mónegum mǽgþum, méodosetla ofuéah, égsode éorlas, syððan ǽrest wéarð vowel alliteration féasceafu fúnden. He þæs frófse gebád, wéox under wólcnum, wéorðmyndum þáh,

• ðþæt him ǽghwỳlc

ýmbsìttendra vowel alliteration

• fer hrónràde

hýran scólde, gómban gýldan. Þæt wæs gód cýning!

Rules of Rhythmic Stress

Particles: not normally stressed

▶ Finite verbs ▶ Personal pronouns ▶ Demonstrative pronouns ▶ Demonstrative adverbs ▶ (Conjunctions)

Stress words: always stressed

▶ Nouns ▶ Adjectives ▶ Nonfjnite verbs ▶ Heavy adverbs (e.g. singallīce) ▶ Heavy pronouns (e.g. gehwylc)

Proclitics: not normally stressed

▶ Prepositions ▶ Demonstratives ▶ Possessives ▶ Copulative conjunctions (and, ne) ▶ Prefjxes (Look for stress words around alliterating syllables.) Particles (grouped near the beginning of their clause) and proclitics (right before stressed words) receive stress if displaced. The second element in a compound contains secondary word stress; in rhythmic stress, it counts as a halfmifu or full lifu as needed.

Sievers Types

A / x / x eorlic ellen; glǣdne Hrōðgār; wīde sīðas (~ 2 trochees) B x / x /

• nd Halga til

(~ 2 iambs) C x / / x gebūn hæfdon (~ 1 iamb + 1 trochee) D1 / / \ x fsēan Scyldinga; hār hilderinc D2 / / x \ wēold wīdeferhð E / \ x / healærna mǣst ▶ Classical terminology unsuitable given the variable number of unstressed syllabes to a foot.

Hypermetric Verse

▶ Three lifus per verse (the extra lifu ofuen added at the start) ▶ Additional alliteration possible Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold

• ngytan meahte

earmra ærgewin, þæt hit ærest ongan swætan on þa swiðran healfe. Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, 20 forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe. Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen wendan wædum ond bleom; hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed, beswyled mid swates gange, hwilum mid since gegyrwed. 23 Hwæðre ic þær licgende lange hwile beheold hreowcearig hælendes treow,

• ððæt ic gehyrde

þæt hit hleoðrode. 26

Hypermetric Verse

▶ Three lifus per verse (the extra lifu ofuen added at the start) ▶ Additional alliteration possible Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold

• ngytan meahte

earmra ærgewin, þæt hit ærest ongan swætan on þa swiðran healfe. Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, 20 forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe. Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen wendan wædum ond bleom; hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed, beswyled mid swates gange, hwilum mid since gegyrwed. 23 Hwæðre ic þær licgende lange hwile beheold hreowcearig hælendes treow,

• ððæt ic gehyrde

þæt hit hleoðrode. 26

langeslag.uni-goettingen.de

Bibliography

Frank, Roberta. “Some Uses of Paranomasia in Old English Scriptural Verse.” Speculum 47,

• no. 2 (April 1972): 207–26.

Terasawa, Jun. Old English Metre: An Introduction. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011.