History of English literature
It is written in Old English, the language is lofty (very poetic, formal), it has
many supernatural elements and is filled with heroic warriors and their deeds. The
hero of the story Beowulf is almost an ideal A-S warrior, the champion of freedom
and justice, courageous, has supernatural strength, is loyal to his king and has a very
strong sense of duty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf
· A-S were converted to Christianity. A lot of religious poems and hymns. Caedmonian.
· Cynewulf represents the essence of Christianity perfectly. The idea of the cycle of
the Sun and the Moon, the movement of the waves, nature.
· The subject matter of A-S poetry is actually centered on the three things that were
most important in A-S lives: war, the sea that surrounded the British Isles and death.
· Main qualities: somberness, awareness of inevitable death.
Formal features of A-S poetry:
1
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