11. What themes and techniques do poems of the Anglo-Saxon period have in common with heroic narratives like Beowulf?
The poems of the Anglo-Saxon period contain themes and techniques common to heroic narratives like Beowulf. For example, “The Seafarer”, “The Wife’s Lament”, and Beowulf all contain the theme of loyalty to a lord. In “The Seafarer”, this loyalty is to God. “Under his lord, Fate is stronger and God mightier than any man’s mind.” (pg 91) In Beowulf loyalty is displayed through the actions of Beowulf’s followers. One lone man, Wiglaf, returns the help his lord, Beowulf, fight against the dragon. It is because of this loyalty that Beowulf is able to defeat the dragon. In “The Wife’s Lament”, the wife displays loyalty to her husband despite being banished by his kinsman. “Full often here the absence of my lord comes sharply to me.” (pg 93) These three poems also contain sea imagery and a similar theme lamenting their inevitable fates. For “The Seafarer”, his inevitable fate is to return to an isolated life on the sea. The inevitable fate of the wife in “The Wife’s Lament” is to remain in exile. Beowulf’s fate is to die.
Bede also contains similarities to Beowulf. These similarities involve structure and the section called “Caedmon’s Hymn”. “Caedmon’s Hymn” contains the same rhythm as epic poems. There are alliterations in each line, “The majesty of his might and his mind’s wisdom”. In addition, there are four stressed syllables, and a caesura. Like Beowulf, “Caedmon’s Hymn” uses certain terms to describe God. In “Caedmon’s Hymn”, God is described as “Lord of Glory”. In Beowulf, Hrothgar calls God, “King of Glory”.
The poems of the Anglo-Saxon period contain themes and techniques common to heroic narratives like Beowulf. For example, “The Seafarer”, “The Wife’s Lament”, and Beowulf all contain the theme of loyalty to a lord. In “The Seafarer”, this loyalty is to God. “Under his lord, Fate is stronger and God mightier than any man’s mind.” (pg 91) In Beowulf loyalty is displayed through the actions of Beowulf’s followers. One lone man, Wiglaf, returns the help his lord, Beowulf, fight against the dragon. It is because of this loyalty that Beowulf is able to defeat the dragon. In “The Wife’s Lament”, the wife displays loyalty to her husband despite being banished by his kinsman. “Full often here the absence of my lord comes sharply to me.” (pg 93) These three poems also contain sea imagery and a similar theme lamenting their inevitable fates. For “The Seafarer”, his inevitable fate is to return to an isolated life on the sea. The inevitable fate of the wife in “The Wife’s Lament” is to remain in exile. Beowulf’s fate is to die.
Bede also contains similarities to Beowulf. These similarities involve structure and the section called “Caedmon’s Hymn”. “Caedmon’s Hymn” contains the same rhythm as epic poems. There are alliterations in each line, “The majesty of his might and his mind’s wisdom”. In addition, there are four stressed syllables, and a caesura. Like Beowulf, “Caedmon’s Hymn” uses certain terms to describe God. In “Caedmon’s Hymn”, God is described as “Lord of Glory”. In Beowulf, Hrothgar calls God, “King of Glory”.
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