Form matters, too
One of the important aspects necessary for success on the AP English exam is an understanding of how the form of a work--its technical aspects of construction, as well as the devices used throughout--impacts the readers' understanding of its content.
To that end--perhaps you might discuss some of the elements of form found in Beowulf? Consider individual words and lines as well as the major subdivisions.
LAZ
To that end--perhaps you might discuss some of the elements of form found in Beowulf? Consider individual words and lines as well as the major subdivisions.
LAZ
posted by L Lazarow | 6:00 PM
8 Comments:
Each line contains at least three words in alliteration. I read that this helped people memorize the tale. But memorizing that much material seems impossible, so I think that the poet himself wrote the majority of the story in that manner (using the alliterations formerly used for memorization, now for poesy), rather than it having been passed down to him that way.
last minute question... not sure if it is even that important.
if you guys have the version of the book that we recieved from laz (i'm not sure about the other copies) on page 34 (which has lines 63-105) it says as a note on the bottom "The poet withholds the name for several lines. He does the same with the name of the hero as well as others"... is there any reason for this other than to offer a better description before mentioning their name?
To answer Christine's question I think the name was withheld for dramatic effect to build up the anticipation of what this so great and wonderous hall could be named. When being told orally it probably helped keep the audience's attention then if the name was just blurted out. Also, it could be a kind of introduction that is commonly used in the heros' cases, it remind the people/Danes of the heroic deeds they acomplished before beginning the new tale.
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for anyone without the heaney translation, this is the character list found in the back of the book, I found it helpful:
Abel: brother of Cain; for the story see Genesis 4.1 - 16
Aelf-here: kinsman of Wiglaf
Aesc-here: beloved advisor to Hrothgar
Beow: an early Danish king, son of Shield
Beowulf: son of Ecgtheow, later king of the Geats
Breca: Bronding leader, competed with Beowulf in a swimming match
Cain: brother of Abel, progenitor of Grendel and his mother
Day-raven: a warrior killed by Beowulf in Hygelac's raid into Frisia
Ean-mund: another so of Othere, befriended by Beowulf
Ecg-laf: a Dane, father of Unferth
Ecg-theow: Father of Beowulf
Ecg-wela: an early, unknown Danish king
Eofor: a geat who killed the Swedish king Ongentheow
Eo-mer: a song of Offa, King of the Angles
Eormen-ric: king of the East Goths
Finn: Kin gof the Frisians, married to Hnaef's sister Hildeburh
Fitela: nephew and son of Sigemund
Folc-wald: Father of Finn
Frea-waru: daughter of Hrothgar
Gar-mund: Father of Offa
Grendel: monstrous cannibla killed by Beowulf
Haereth: Father of Hygd
Haeth-cyn: second son of the Geatish King Hrethel
Halga: younger brother of the Danish King Hrothgar
Half-dane: Father of the Danish king Hrothgar
Heard-red: son of King Hygelac, later king of the Geats
Heatho-laf: a warrior of the Wulfing tribe
Hemming: a relative of Offa and Eomer
Hengest: the leader of the Danish party after Hneaf is killed by Finn's men
Heoro-gar: older brother of Hrothgar, a Danish king
Heoro-weard: song of Heorogar
Here-beald: oldest son of the Geatish king Hrethel
Here-mod: a King of the Danes
Hilde-burh: wife of the Frisian king Finn, sister of the Dane Hnaef
Hnaef: leader of the Danes visiting Finn, brother of Hildeburh
Hoc: father of Hildeburh and Hnaef
Hond-scio: one of beowulf's companions, killed by Grendel
Hrethel: King fo the Geats, Hygelac's father, grandfather of Beowulf
Hreth-ric: son of Hrothgar
Hroth-gar: king of the Danes, Husband of Wealhtheow
Hroth-mund: son of Hrothgar
Hroth-ulf: son of Halgam nephew of Hrothgar
Hrunting: Unferth's sword
Hun-lafing: A danish warrior in Hengest's party
Hygd: wife of Hygelac, daughter of Haereth
Hyge-lac: king of the Geats, husband of Hygd, uncle of Beowulf
Ing: a mythical ancestor of the Danes
In-geld: a prince of the Heatho-bards
Mod-thryth: queen of the Angles, wife of Offa
Naegling: Beowulf's sword
Offa: king of the Angles, husbund of Modthryth
Oht-here: son of the Swedish king Ongentheow
Onela: king of the Swedes, son of Ongentheow
Ongen-theow: king of the Swedes
Os-laf: a Danish warrior
Shield: a legenday king, founder of the Danish royal family
Sige-mund: a legendary Germanic hero
Swerting: grandfather of Hygelac
Un-ferth: a member of Hrothgar's court
Wael: father of Sigemund
Wealh-theow: queen of the Danes, wife of Hrothgar
Weland: a mythical germanic smith, famous for weapons
Weoh-stan: father of Wiglaf, kliler of Edmund
Wig-laf: a relative and follower of Beowulf
Wither-gold: A Heatho-Band warrior
Won-red: a Geat, Father of Wulf and Eofor
Wulf: a Geatish Warrior
Wulf-gar: a Wendel cheif attached to Hrothgar's court
Yrmen-laf: a Dane, brother of Aeschere
good website for heraldry:
http://www.irishsurnames.com/heraldiccharges.htm
Okay I've spent about 3 hours trying to get this page to load, and now it's probably too late for anyone else to be on.. but anyway, does anyone know how we're supposed to incorporate the crest, wreath, mantle, etc. into blazoning, since most of our blazoning examples only referred to simpler coats of arms without crests and the like.. help?
To help with coats of arms and such I found a web site with links to other sites that either give examples of coats of arms or clipart to use for your coat of arms:
www.digiserve.com/hearaldry
and a little more Canterbury...
http://www.librarius.com
http://academics.vmi.edu/english/chaucer.html
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