Comment on the note of melancholy in Anglo-Saxon elegiac poetry with reference to any one poem that you have read.

Comment on the note of melancholy in Anglo-Saxon elegiac poetry with reference to any one poem that you have read.

 An elegy means a poem of mourning or song of lamentation. We find them in origin both in Greek literature and in Latin. However, term 'elegy' was at first appeared to all kinds of poetry written in a particular metre, called  elegiac metre. The subject of an elegy as such could then be anything tragic, comic, serious, sad or sentimental. But subsequently the scope of elegy become confined and the name was applied to the specific kind of poem of moaning or the song of lamentation. An elegy is now supposed to have these features: - Reflective, pensiveness and subjectivity.

Of the Angles – Saxon elegies, the specific mention may be made of “ Widsith, The Ruined or Ruined Burg, The Wife’s Complaint, The Husband's Massage, Deor’s Lament, Wulf and Eadwacer The Wanderer and the Seafarer.”

The heroic traditions of The Wanderer were based on Fate and God. He was believed that they controlled people's lives and could "put men into positions where it seems impossible for them to emerge with honor".They are judged by their choice which they carry out their chosen aim, never looking back. The courage to resist one's fate brought about the idea of Fame, which "is something greater than Fate": the strength of will and the courage of human beings, and the memory which could preserve their deeds. If he resisted his fate, he had to have courage because it often meant facing great physical hardships, knowing that he would most likely die. But the Wanderer would rather die in an early, courageous death, trying to achieve Fame rather than sitting back and doing nothing, because "Fame dies never for him"......................................................................................

TO GET COMPLETE STUDY MATERIAL JOIN NSOU ENGLISH COACHING

SHARE

Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

• 
• 
• 
• 
•