Interactions of Thought and Language in Old English Poetry

Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England #12

by Peter A. Clemoes

Peter Clemoes brings a lifetime's close study of Anglo-Saxon texts to this fresh appreciation of Old English poetry, with a radically new interpretation that relates the poetry to the entire Anglo-Saxon way of thinking, and to the structures of its society. He proposes a dynamic principle of Old English poetry, very different from the common notion of formulas slotted into poems for stylistic variation. Carefully thought out and elegantly written, this book is also accessible to students: its numerous quotations are accompanied by modern English translations.

Genres: Old English Literature, Poetry

Hardcover

First published July 20, 1995

Reviews

[Liam Guilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars or four? or whatever. Hugely erudite, no one could ever accuse Clemoes of not knowing what he was talking about. Perhaps this is an example of a book written by someone who knew too much and lost sight of the argument. As reviewers at the time pointed out he doesn't define some of his key terms and the book can be hard to follow, there are footnotes pointing the reader to other sections of the book, often with footnotes to other parts of the book. As such reading is very much like negotiating a labyrinth. Lots of evidence, and all the OE is translated, which is a bonus. Someone more knowledgeable than I am can decide if the argument for the Dating of Beowulf stacks up but I suspect the book would offer fascinating insights on a range of topics to anyone who is interested in OE poetry and has the patience to read it. It's going to be a useful reference book long after the initial reading.