Old English Metre: An Introduction

Toronto Anglo-Saxon Series

by Jun Terasawa

Old English Metre offers an essential framework for the critical analysis of metrical structures and interpretations in Old English literature. Jun Terasawa's comprehensive introductory text covers the basics of Old English metre and reviews the current research in the field, emphasizing the interaction between Old English metre and components such as word-formation, word-choice, and grammar. He also covers the metre-related problems of dating, authorship, and the distinction between prose and verse. Each chapter includes exercises and suggestions for further reading. Appendices provide possible answers to the exercises, tips for scanning half-lines, and brief definitions of metrical terms used. Examples in Old English are provided with literal modern English translations, with glosses added in the first three chapters to help beginners. The result is a comprehensive guide that makes important text-critical skills much more readily available to Old English specialists and beginners alike.

Genres: Language

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2011

Reviews

[Erika]

「英語の歴史」
中公新書

[Vince]

A great introduction to Old English poetic meter, but the fact that all of its examples come from Beowulf leaves one with a fairly narrow understanding of the subject.