Old English Metre: An Introduction

Description

'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. Preface ix Acknowledgments xiii 1 Introduction 3 Overview 3 1.1 Alliteration 3 1.2 How Alliteration Affects Grammar and Word-choice 6 1.3 Rhythm 7 1.4 How Rhythm Affects Grammar and Word-choice 8 1.5 Textual Criticism 9 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 11 2 Alliteration 12 Overview 12 2.1 Consonantal and Vocalic Alliteration 12 2.2 Alliterative Patterns in the Line and Half-line 17 2.2.1 Anomalous Alliteration 17 2.2.2 Crossed and Transverse Alliteration 18 2.2.3 Explaining Alliterative Patterns 19 2.3 The Alliterative Rule of Precedence 21 2.4 Rhyme 24 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 25 3 Rhythm: The Basics 27 Overview 27 3.1 Stress-words, Particles, and Proclitics 27 3.2 Syllable and Foot 30 3.2.1 Syllable Length 30 3.2.2 Foot 31 3.3 Five Rhythmic Types 32 3.4 Anacrusis 45 3.5 Hypermetric Verses 46 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 48 4 Rhythm: Advanced Topics 49 Overview 49 4.1 The Four-syllable Principle 49 4.2 Accommodation of Apparently Ill-formed Half-lines 52 4.2.1 Contraction 52 4.2.2 Parasiting 53 4.2.3 Syncopation 54 4.2.4 Resolution and Kaluza’s Law 55 4.3 Types B and c Reconsidered 57 4.4 Interaction between Rhythm and Alliteration 58 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 61 5 Metre and Word 63 Overview 63 5.1 Preference for Shorter Words or Phrases 63 5.2 Choice between Morphological Variants 65 5.2.1 Adverbs of Time 65 5.2.2 Agent-nouns in '-end' and '-ende' 66 5.2.3 The Relative Infrequency of Agent-nouns in '-ere' in Old English Poetry 69 5.3 Constraints on Compound Formation 71 5.3.1 'Prosaic' 'Here-toga' and 'Poetic' 'Folc-toga' 71 5.3.2 'Hilde-' and 'Hild'-compounds 73 5.3.3 Absence of Some Possible Compounds 75 5.3.4 Compounds and Syntactic Phrases 76 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 78 6 Metre and Grammar 79 Overview 79 6.1 Nouns and Adjectives 79 6.1.1 Concord between Subject and Adjective/Participle 79 6.1.2 Weak Adjectives without a Demonstrative 81 6.1.3 weak 'Man' 83 6.2 Negation 84 6.3 Inflectional Forms and Prepositional Phrases 86 6.4 Principal and Subordinate Clauses 90 6.5 Word Order 92 6.5.1 How Alliteration Affects Word Order 92 6.5.2 How Rhythm Affects Word Order: Kuhn’s Laws 93 6.5.3 Syntactic Classification of Half-lines 97 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 101 7 Other Problems Related to Old English Metre 103 Overview 103 7.1 Metre and the Dating of Texts 103 7.2 Metre and Authorship 106 7.3 Verse and Prose 108 References and Suggestions for Further Reading 114 Appendices 117 A Suggested Answers to the Exercises 117 B Some Tips for Scanning Half-lines, with Sample Scansions 127 C Glossary of Metrical Terms 131 Bibliography 135 Index of Verses 151 General Index 153