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God must decide / Who will be given to deaths cold grip. INTRODUCTION
The Anglo-Saxons were a remarkable people, with a rich culture that favoured intricate and art and high decoration, and a strong tradition of the warrior class. Their language, which we now refer to as Old English, was different enough from Modern English that we cannot read texts in their original form, without translation. Although nearly all Old English poetry is preserved in only four manuscriptsindicating that what has survived is not necessarily the best or most representativemuch of it is of high literary quality. The world of the Anglo-Saxons was violent and dangerous. Rival kings fought for control of the best land, and it was very much a warrior society. Warriors spent their leisure times in mead halls, listening to court poets, called scops, sing about the triumphs of their greatest heroes. An Anglo-Saxon hero had to be able to fight and defend his people, and had to be able to lead them into battle. It is the legends of these daring men, composed into epics, that have survived to this day. Beowulf, a complete epic, is the oldest surviving Germanic epic as well as the longest and most important poem in Old English. It originated as a pagan saga conveyed orally from one generation to the next. The version of Beowulf that is still in existence was written down by a Christian poet, probably early in the 8th century. Since most of the people who could write at this time were monks in the Christian church, it is not surprising that some Christian content has found its way into the epic, adding another layer to the exciting story.
EVALUATION
Activity 1.1 Activity 1.2 Short Answer Questions for LG 2................................................... 5 marks Flashcards for LG 2 ........................................................................ 5 marks
Please hand in your flashcards in the same order that they are presented in this Learning Guide
Beowulf Sight Passage ................................................................ 15 marks Beowulf Essay Outline ................................................................ 25 marks Beowulf Essay Written Expression .............................................. 25 marks Beowulf Essay Content ............................................................... 25 marks
Literature 12
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TEXTS
Rafel, Burton trans., from Beowulf, Adventures in English Literature. Athena Edition. Toronto: Holt Rinehart and Winston, Harcourt Brace and Company, 2996. 12 30. Rafel, Burton trans., The Seafarer, Adventures in English Literature. Athena Edition. Toronto: Holt Rinehart and Winston, Harcourt Brace and Company, 2996. 12 30. (Student directed lesson)
TERMS
alliteration allusion aphorism caesura characterization colloquialism conflict epic essay *ethnocentricity figure of speech foreshadowing formal diction hero heroic tradition image imagery irony kenning literary essay literal language metaphor myth omniscient point of view oral tradition personification poetry point of view rime-giver rhythm scop setting symbol thesis thesis statement
Focus 1:
The Anglo-Saxons
A: Read The Anglo-Saxon Period: 449 2066 in Adventures in Literature, beginning on page 2.
Activity 1.1.
Questions
B: Answer questions 1-1 to 1-6 at the end of this Learning Guide. You may answer directly on the worksheet, which will be returned to you for study purposes.
Focus 2:
The poem The Seafarer should be our first student presented poem. There are a number of elements of Anglo-Saxon poetry that we can identify here that will help us in our reading of Beowulf. Turn to page 35 in your textbook and read The Seafarer.
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Read the poem slowly and see if you can imagine the poem as a conversation between two speakers. There are two distinct attitudes being expressed: the enthusiasm of the youth for new adventure and the weariness of the old sailor recounting his hardships. As you read note the powerful descriptions in the poem. The descriptions are enhanced by the metrical charm of the poem and by the flowing alliteration. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, the number of stresses, not the number of syllables, is the basis of the poetic line. 'Normally, there are four stressed syllables in each line; of these, at least three are alliterated (alliteration: repetition of the same initial letter or sound). Each line is divided into two parts, with a slight pause (caesura) between. In each of these half-lines there are two beats; at least one of the beats in the first half alliterates with the first accented syllable in the second half. (The first beat in the second half of a line is called the rime-giver.) The number of unaccented syllables varies from line to line. Such lines as the following have the typical beat. Line / / / /
For another example, look at line 15: Line 15 Alone in a world blown clear of love In lines 59-60, note the phrase "whales' home." This is a synonym for sea. Such synonyms are called kennings. Kennings are metaphors of a particular type. They find expression in such phrases as "earl's raiment" for armour and "swan's road" or "whale's road" for sea. Make it a habit to watch for these kennings; you will find that they enrich the description.
Activity 1.2.
Flashcards
As you work through the Literature 12 and English 12 courses, you will discover that there are many terms you need to know for the provincial exam nearly 300! This is a lot to cram for, especially since much of it is memorization. You also need to be familiar enough with each of the 41 works (including Beowulf) to recognize the entire work and author from a quotation.
Frances Kelsey Secondary Mrs. M. Carmichael
Personally, I have found the use of flashcards invaluable in learning this material. In order to do a flashcard most efficiently: a. only one piece of information is on each card (you can cut your cards in half) b. put the word or phrase on one side, and the definition, in words that make sense to you, on the other. c. set up your cards so that you can study them from either side. For example, you might read a term, and come up with a definition, or you might read a definition and remember the appropriate term. You will also answer a number of questions and do some self-marking activities. Whenever you get an answer that doesnt agree with mine, be sure to argue it out with me! You can add any additional flashcards, such as particularly tricky questions, that you wish. Some terms may have fairly lengthy definitions. Here, for example, is my flashcard on epic
is a poem of considerable length national in theme usually composed when a young nation is searching for its own identity. its heroes surpass ordinary men in deeds, size, strength, valour, speech, etc. They are larger than life the gods or supernatural elements are often involved in the deed and combats of men always exalted and lofty in the style of writing May have an invocation or statement of purpose
Epic
At this time you should make up flashcards on the following. I would be pleased to look them over to make sure you are on the right track.
alliteration caesura epic hero heroic tradition kenning oral tradition unstressed syllable () rime-maker rhythm scop stressed syllable (/)
Focus 3:
Beowulf
We can tell a lot about a culture by paying close attention to the values implied in the culture and poetry of a people. What do you think people of the future will think about the values implied in the popular music and movies of today? We know from the remnants of AngloSaxon literature that these people highly prized the following: a heroic tradition endurance courage generosity and loyalty fair Play love of Fame learning fatalism (resignation to Wyrd) the recent conversion to Christianity
A. Read the introductory material and the excerpts from Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, in Adventures in Literature, beginning on page 12. B. Read Literary Elements on page 30 of Adventures in Literature.
Keep in mind the following key features of Anglo-Saxon poetry: oral in tradition (sung by scops in the mead hall) no rhyme rhythmic 4 beat line a caesura (or break mid-line) kennings (metaphorical phrase or compound word) alliteration somber tone larger than life hero stately diction and speeches traditional scenes - voyage, banquet, boast, battle, funeral
Beowulf has all these features, including many basic ingredients of epic poetry:
This poem is pagan in origin but was written down by an Anglo-Saxon Christian; it is dark, violent, heroic and fatalistic. Although an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) poem, its setting is mainly in Denmark and begins in Herot, the mead hall of King Hrothgar. Later, it moves to Geatland (Sweden).
Literature 12
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You will use these flashcards to prepare for the provincial exam, where you will have to identify quotes from this course (provide the title or author). D: Create a flashcard on each of the following terms with a definition and an example from Beowulf. allusion aphorism characterization conflict foreshadowing image imagery irony metaphor omniscient point of view personification point of view setting symbol
Activity 1.3.
The excerpt and questions in the Beowulf Hand in Exercise appeared on the June, 2002 Literature 12 exam. Complete the questions and paragraph and hand it in.
Activity 1.4.
Outline an Essay
Write an outline on ONE of the following topics. These topics both appeared as exam questions when students were required to write a total of six essays on their exams! For each point you make, be sure to include a quote or specific reference, and write the line numbers in round brackets at the end of each line. Remember that you will probably not be able to write your introduction and your conclusion until you have found your content. I know the trick of writing he essay and then pulling the outline off of it, but I really want you to have the experience of legitimately working from an outline, so I would like you to get your outline initialled before you write your essay. A: By specific reference to the selection from Beowulf, identify two ways in which the epic Beowulf displays heroic actions. B: With specific reference to Beowulf, show two Anglo-Saxon values that are demonstrated by Beowulfs actions and comments. C: With reference to both The Seafarer AND Beowulf, show that life was not easy during Anglo-Saxon times.
Activity 1.5.
Write an Essay
Choose ONE of the topics you have outlined above and write it as a full essay. Remember the following: o provide a cover page that has your name, the name and number of this learning guide, the date you completed it, and the name of this course. You may use the same cover sheet for both assignments, but the title of both should appear on the cover sheet. write in blue or black ink, or type your outline. If you type, use a standard font. provide a title for each assignment. double space
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o o o
o o
indent the first line of each paragraph (and have more than one paragraph please!!) mention the name of the text you are discussing (Beowulf) in the first paragraph. (Usually you would mention the author too, but since we dont know who exactly wrote Beowulf down, let alone composed it well, lets leave that part out). cite your sources in-text in the outline itself with a page number only, in brackets, placed before the period of the sentence the quote is in, or just after the quotation, like this (57), provide a list of works cited in proper format. We will go over this in class, but you might want to note that I use proper format at the beginning of each learning guide, so for this learning guide you can simply copy it.
Activity 1.6.
Self-Quiz
When you have handed in all of the activities for this learning guide, you might like to try the self quiz for Learning Guide 1. It is made up of questions on Beowulf from former provincial exams, so you can get some idea of what exam questions are like. It can be found under Courses and Literature 12 on the Frances Kelsey Web Site. This quiz is not for marks..
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Name: ___________________________________
The Anglo-Saxons
Give the dates included in the Anglo-Saxon Period, and explain why the England of this period was largely a military society.
1-2:
1-3:
What indicates that the Anglo-Saxons prized beauty and learning as well as bravery and strength?
1-4:
What dominant characteristics of Anglo-Saxon poetry are due to its oral tradition?
1-5:
1-6:
Focus 2:
2-1:
The Seafarer
What is a rime-giver? Give an example from The Seafarer, other than the one used in the learning guide.
2-2:
What is parallelism, in literary terms? Give an example from The Seafarer, other than the one used in the learning guide.
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Name: ___________________________________
2-3:
What is a kenning? Give an example from The Seafarer, other than the one used in the learning guide.
2-4:
The Seafarer is a poem of great contrasts. Cite one positive and one negative view of the seafaring life shown in the poem.
Focus 3:
3-1:
Beowulf
3-2:
When was Beowulf most likely composed? When did its events probably take place?
3-3:
3-4:
b) his isolation
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Name: ___________________________________
3-5:
How long does the monsters reign of terror last, and how is it broken?
3-6:
3-7:
Reread lines 250 326, in which Beowulf answers Unferths charge. What do these lines reveal about Beowulf, and the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero?
3-8:
What happens when Grendel enters the hall that Beowulf and his men have inhabited?
3-9:
Locate five adjectives or adverbs in lines 363 423 which are used to describe Grendel before the battle, and five in lines 458 504 which describe the monster after the battle. Study both lists, and comment on the change in Grendel that these lists imply. a) before:
b) after:
c) change:
3-12: Explain how the following lines illustrate the use of kennings, alliteration, and caesura. That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime,
Questions for Learning Guide 1: The Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf page 10
Name: ___________________________________
Knew at once that nowhere on earth Had he met a man whose hands were harder. . . a) kennings:
b) alliteration:
c) caesura
3-13: Anglo-Saxon society had only recently converted to Christianity, and still had strong pagan influences. Find an example from the poem to support this statement.
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Name: ________________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. And for the first time in his life that famous prince (line 15) This line illustrates the use of A. simile. B. aphorism. C. metaphor. D. alliteration. 2. Beowulf first learns that fate is against him when A. his iron shield begins to melt. B. he realizes that he boasts too much. C. none of his men comes to help him. D. he sees the enormous size of the dragon. 3. Geats ring-giver (line 25) is an example of A. kenning. B. caesura. C. paradox. D. oxymoron. 4. The tone of the lines his brave and noble / Followers (lines 3940) is A. ironic. B. joyful. C. elegiac. D. humorous. 5. At the end of the excerpt, Beowulf is A. betrayed. B. cowardly. C. confident. D. invincible. Paragraph Answer: INSTRUCTIONS: In paragraph form, using approximately 150 words, respond to the following question. Write your answer in ink. 2. With specific reference to the passage, show that the hero Beowulf becomes vulnerable. (10 marks)
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