Samarqand davlat chet tiller instituti roman-german tillar fakulteti

1.2 Specific features of Anglo- Saxon poetry
Simile and Metaphor
Anglo- Saxon poetry is marked by the comparative rarity of similes. This is a particular feature of Anglo- Saxon verse style, and is a consequence of both its structure and the rapidity with which images are deployed, to be unable to effectively support the expanded simile. As an example of this, the epic Beowulf contains at best five similes, and these are of the short variety. This can be contrasted sharply with the strong and extensive dependence that Anglo- Saxon poetry has upon metaphor, particularly that afforded by the use of kennings. The most prominent example of this in The Wanderer is the reference to battle as a ―storm of spears‖. This reference to battle gives us an opportunity to see how Anglo- Saxons viewed battle: as unpredictable, chaotic, violent, and perhaps even a function of nature. It is with these stylistic and thematic elements in mind, that one should first approach Anglo- Saxon poetry.
Alliteration
Old English poetry traditionally alliterates. Meaning that sounds (usually the initial consonant sound) is repeated throughout a line. For instance in Beowulf the line weras on wil- siþ wudu bundenne ―man on desired journey bound the ship‖, most of the words alliterate on the consonant ―w‖. So pervasive and important is the alliterative form that in the Beowulf line just cited, the poet probably started off with the word wil- siþ (―desired journey‖ the most important idea of the line) and then put other words in the line that alliterated with it. So important is alliteration then that it even shapes the meaning of the line. This is not a foreign concept to the study of oral tradition in transcript ion.
Caesura
Old English poetry is also commonly marked by the German caesura or pause. In addition to setting pace for the line the caesura also grouped each line into two couplets.
Elaboration
Anglo- Saxon poetry has a fast - paced dramatic style, and accordingly is not prone to the comparatively expansive decoration that may be found in, say, Celtic literature of the period. Where a Celtic poet of the time might use 3 or 4 similes to make a point, an Anglo- Saxon poet might insert a single kenning before moving swiftly on.[17]