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The Old English Poems of Cynewulf
Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library
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The Old English Poems of Cynewulf
$7199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This collection is ideal for readers interested in early English literature, medieval Christian poetry, and those fascinated by the origins of vernacular verse. It will also appeal to scholars and students of Old English language and culture seeking insight into one of the period's few named poets.
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See moreOther than his name, we have no biographical details of Cynewulf, not even where or when he lived. Yet his Old English poems attest to a powerfully inventive imagination, deeply learned in Christian doctrine and traditional verse-craft. He reveals an expert control of structure and a flair for extended similes and dramatic dialogue.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
The Old English poems attributed to Cynewulf, who flourished some time between the eighth and tenth centuries, are unusual because most vernacular poems in this period are anonymous. Other than the name, we have no biographical details of Cynewulf, not even the most basic facts of where or when he lived. Yet the poems themselves attest to a powerfully inventive imagination, deeply learned in Christian doctrine and traditional verse-craft.
Runic letters spelling out the name Cynewulf appear in four poems: Christ II (or The Ascension), Juliana, The Fates of the Apostles, and Elene. To these, a fifth poem can be added, Guthlac B, because of similarities in style and vocabulary, but any signature (if one ever existed) has been lost because its ending lines are missing.
What characterizes Cynewulf's poetry? He reveals an expert control of structure as shown from the changes he makes to his Latin sources. He has a flair for extended similes and dramatic dialogue. In Christ II, for example, the major events in Christ's life are portrayed as vigorous leaps. In Juliana, the force of the saint's rhetoric utterly confounds a demon sent to torment her.
Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674072633
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 20 May 2013
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Contributors:
- Edited and translated by Robert E. Bjork
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 133.0mm
Height: 203.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 288
About the Author
A Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, Robert E. Bjork is Foundation Professor of English and Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Arizona State University.
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