Representations of the Natural World in Old English PoetryThis book examines descriptions of the natural world in a wide range of Old English poetry. Jennifer Neville describes the physical conditions experienced by the Anglo-Saxons - the animals, diseases, landscapes, seas and weather with which they had to contend. She argues that poetic descriptions of these elements were not a reflection of the existing physical conditions but a literary device used by Anglo-Saxons to define more important issues: the state of humanity, the creation and maintenance of society, the power of individuals, the relationship between God and creation and the power of writing to control information. Examples of contemporary literature in other languages are used to provide a sense of Old English poetry's particular approach, which incorporated elements from Germanic, Christian and classical sources. The result of this approach was not a consistent cosmological scheme but a rather contradictory vision which reveals much about how the Anglo-Saxons viewed themselves. |
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Table des matières
| 1 | |
| 19 | |
| 53 | |
| 89 | |
power in and against nature | 139 |
knowledge and writing | 178 |
7 Conclusion | 202 |
Bibliography | 207 |
Index | 217 |
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry Jennifer Neville Aucun aperçu disponible - 1999 |
Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry Jennifer Neville Aucun aperçu disponible - 2006 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
Aldhelm Andreas Anglo Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon Magic Anglo-Saxon Medicine appears argued Battle Battle of Maldon Beasts Bede Beowulf Boethius characteristic Christ Christian con¯ict context cosmology creation creatures critics dark de®ne human de®nition demons depiction described devil dif®cult dragon ealle earth elves example Exeter Book Riddle exile further discussion Genesis God's Grendel Grendel's mother Guthlac heaven hell Heorot hero heroic History homily hostile Hrothgar human race human society Ibid idea identi®ed in¯uence interpretation Lament Lapidge Latin Liber monstrorum literary Magennis Maxims Medieval mñre modern monsters natural world Neophil ofer Old English Literature Old English poetry onne pagan physical Physiologus poem poet poetic Pride and Prodigies prose re¯ect representation Rune Poem saints Saxon sceal Seafarer Solomon and Saturn sources speci®cally storm structures Studies texts thegns tradition translation Wanderer Wife's Lament wisdom literature wñs word world in Old writers Wyrd
