ASL - Anglo-Saxon Poetry Lesson
Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Recall that the Illuminated manuscripts are those works produced by Anglo-Saxon scribes (mostly composed of monks from the church) during the Anglo-Saxon time period. The Exeter Book is an anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry, and the Vercelli Book is an anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry and prose. Both the Exeter Book and the Vercelli Book are two of the four existing anthologies containing the literature of the Anglo-Saxon time period. Scops were a form of entertainment during the Anglo-Saxon time period, and they orally told or passed down the poems and stories.
Elegies (Seafarer, Wanderer, Wife's Lament) 
An elegy is a poem of serious contemplation or lament that is often melancholic. Elegies typically reveal a lesson, so Anglo-Saxon elegies often serve as "wisdom poetry" and provide a moral to teach readers how to live. Several elegies appear in the Exeter Book, which is an anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry.
Each of the poems in this grouping is about exile -- a prolonged stay away from home that is forced upon the exiled persons. Exile -- the condition of being cut off from one's homeland -- may take many different forms. For example, in "The Seafarer" the exile is self-imposed; the seafarer cannot resist the lure of the sea and all of its dangers. "The Wanderer," however, experiences exile due to the death in battle of his lord and comrades. In "The Wife's Lament," exile is enforced on the woman by her husband and his conniving relatives.
Please view the first few lines of "The Wanderer" in Old English:
Reading Assignment
Now, you will read and comprehend three well-known Anglo-Saxon elegies: "The Seafarer", "The Wanderer", and "The Wife's Lament". Note how the diction and figurative language used in elegies create the elegiac, or melancholic, contemplative, tone. Similarly, remember to acknowledge the various literary devices and themes that appear in Anglo-Saxon poetry—specifically note the module themes of bravery and morality.
"The Seafarer" describes an elderly seafarer who looks back on his life and contemplates how he chose to live. As you read the "The Seafarer", note the Anglo-Saxon themes and literary devices that appear throughout the poem.
"The Seafarer" Poem Links to an external site.
"The Wanderer" Poem Links to an external site.
"The Wife's Lament" Poem Links to an external site.
Complete the reading comprehension questions for extra understanding (these questions will not be graded).
The Seafarer Questions Links to an external site.
The Wanderer Question Links to an external site.
The Wife's Lament Questions Links to an external site.
Poetry Practice Self-Assessment
In the activity below, click on a poem title to answer questions. Return to the menu to select another poem.
Christian Poetry - "Dream of the Rood"
As Christianity arrived to the Anglo-Saxons in 597 AD, religious poetry became more prominent. Christian poetry during this time period was narrative and lyrical; these poems helped the Anglo-Saxon people understand Christianity and helped the monks spread Christianity.
The "Dream of the Rood" is a Christian poem from the Anglo-Saxon time period that appears in both the Vercelli Book, one of the oldest anthologies of Anglo-Saxon prose and poetry, and on the Ruthwell Cross, an Anglo-Saxon stone cross monument with inscriptions and images.
The poem describes the crucifixion of Christ from the point of view of the cross as the cross explains how it suffers while holding up the suffering of Jesus. The personification of the "Rood", or cross, is common in Anglo-Saxon poetry.
Reading Assignment - "Dream of the Rood"
As you read the "Dream of the Rood" Links to an external site., note the Anglo-Saxon themes and literary devices that appear throughout the poem. Complete the reading comprehension questions for extra understanding. Links to an external site.
Riddles
Another important part of Anglo-Saxon literature is riddles. The Exeter Book contains several riddles that entertained the masses. Some riddles were secular, but some of the riddles were Christian in nature. View an example of a riddle below:
| Latin Original | Literal Translation | Literary Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ostringer en arvo vernabam frondibus hirtis Conquilio similis: sic cocci murice rubro Purpureus stilllat sanguisuela de palmito guttis. Exuvias vitae mandenti toilere nolo Mitia nec peints spoliabunt mente venant; Sed tamen insanım vefat demetim cordis Dum rotat in giro vevors veertigine membra. | Purple bearing, lo!, I was growing in a field/the countryside, with shaggy/rough/hairy foliage/stalks/branches similar to a shellfish/purple-fish/purple dye/purple cloth thus with red murex/purple bye of my berry/red dye purple blood drips/trickles away from the vine-shoots in drops. I do not wish to take away from the chewer the trappings of life, no will my gentle juices/poisons/potions utterly rob him of his mind; but nevertheless a madness of the heart shakes/agitates/torments him, mad, while, deranged by giddiness, he whirls his limbs in a circle. | A purple flower, I grow in the fields with shaggy foliage. I am very similar to an oyster, thus with reddened dye of scarlet a purplish blood oozes by drops from my branches. I do not wish to snatch away the spoils of life from him who eats me, nor do my gentle potions deprive him utterly of reason. Nevertheless, a certain touch of insanity torments him as, mad with dizziness, he whirls his limbs in a circle. |
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