Alliterative Poetry

1. Alliterative Poetry Tori, Kristen, Mallory, and Julianna

2. Poetic Features • Modern Alliterative Poetry: • Alliteration: The repetition of similar sounds in a series of words or phrases • Assonance • Ex. On a proud round cloud in white high night • Consonance • Ex. Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper

3. Poetic Features • Anglo Saxon Alliterative Poetry: • uses alliteration as the main structuring device to join lines of poetry • unlike other devices that uses rhyme • Forming of this Alliterative Verse: • The line has two verses divided by a boundary called a caesura. • Each of the two halves contain two stressed syllables, called lifts, and two or more groups of unstressed syllables, called drops. • An alliterative pattern must be carried over across the caesura • Any of the stressed syllables may alliterate except the last syllable For example: Lade ne letton. Leohteastan com. • Has a distinctive set of rhetorical devices • most common is kenning

4. Examples of drops and lifts

5. Examples of Alliterative Poetry in Other Poems • Germanic languages • Some poetry that uses alliteration include: • Muspilli • Heliand • Poetic Edda • Also found in other languages as well: • Kalevala • Kalevipoeg

6. Alliterative Poetry in J.R.R Tolkien Poems • J.R.R. Tolkien- “Turin Turambar”, “Song of the Mounds of Mundberg”, “The Lord of the Rings” • He majored in Anglo Saxon and Middle English • Style unknown in modern English literature • This style dominated English literature from Chaucer’s time until early 20th century

7. Tolkien's Poem • “Song of the Mounds of Mundburg”: We heard of the horns in the hills ringing, the swords shining in the South-kingdom. Steeds went striding to the Stoningland as wind in the morning. War was kindled.

8. Alliterative Poetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight • Written during “Alliterative Revival -14th century • Followed the alliterative verse style • Except made a few changes called bob and wheel

9. Alliterative Poetry in Beowulf • Germanic Anglo-Saxon Poetry • Old English language • Alliterative Poetry used instead of usual rhyme schemes • Usually three alliterations in every line • Ex. Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings • Kennings (epithets) are also used to enhance the poetry • “mail shirt” for armor • “dwelling place” for residence

10. Examples Found in Beowulf • In the translation by Seamus Heaney alliteration is sometimes only in half the line • These are examples of proper ones: • The fortunes of war/ favouredHrothgar(l.64) • The highest in the land/ would lend advice (l.172) • And find friendship/ in the Father’s embrace (l.188) • Heaney tries to use many analogies like the original • Lord of the nation could be: • “ring-giver” • “treasure-giver” • “his people’s shield” • “shepherd”