Becoming a Poet in Anglo-Saxon England (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature, Series Number 88)

Combining historical, literary and linguistic evidence from Old English and Latin, Becoming a Poet in Anglo-Saxon England creates a new, more complete picture of who and what pre-Conquest English poets really were. It includes a study of Anglo-Saxon words for 'poet' and the first list of named poets in Anglo-Saxon England. Its survey of known poets identifies four social roles that poets often held - teachers, scribes, musicians and courtiers - and explores the kinds of poetry created by these individuals. The book also offers a new model for understanding the role of social groups in poets' experience: it argues that the presence or absence of a poetic community affected the work of Anglo-Saxon poets at all levels, from minute technical detail to the portrayal of character. This focus on poetic communities provides a new way to understand the intersection of history and literature in the Middle Ages.

• | Author: Emily V. Thornbury
• | Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• | Publication Date: Jan 09, 2016
• | Number of Pages: 338 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback/Literary Criticism
• | ISBN-10: 1107643074
• | ISBN-13: 9781107643079