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The Syntax of Beowulf: Word Order, Poetic Meter, and Formulaic Technique in the Old English Verse Clause

Name: The Syntax of Beowulf: Word Order, Poetic Meter, and Formulaic Technique in the Old English Verse Clause
Brand: Uppsala Books
SKU: 9781961361225
Price: 55.99 USD
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Contributors:

Geoffrey Russom

Publisher:

Uppsala Books

Binding:

Hardcover

Book Category:

Literary Criticism, Foreign Language Study, Poetry

Book Subcategory:

Medieval, Old & Middle English, Epic

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The product is eligible for a complimentary return within 30 days from the date of purchase. Furthermore, individual items are shipped within 24 hours of receiving the order.

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Release Date:

8/10/2025

ISBN 13:

9781961361225

Weight:

1.63 lbs

Size:

9.00 x 6.00 x 1.06 inches

Pages:

426

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product description

Description

In this monumental contribution to Old English philology, Geoffrey Russom integrates important discoveries about syntax, meter, and oral-formulaic composition to interpret striking differences between Old English poetry and prose, including many differences that have previously evaded detection. The prehistory of English word order is traced from about 300 BCE, when alliterative meter was born, to the era of Beowulf (about 700 CE). Evolution of poetic word order is then explained as a response to syntactic evolution -- a response significantly delayed by formulaic poets who valued their ancient technique. An analysis is provided for every clause in Beowulf, with each concrete example accompanied by verse numbers for all similar examples. Russom's integrated approach brings to light general principles of verse structure and formulaic composition that apply in other languages and other poetic traditions as well.

About the Author
Russom, Geoffrey: - GEOFFREY RUSSOM is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at Brown University, where he had been the Nicholas Brown Professor of Oratory and Belles Lettres. His previous works include Old English Meter and Linguistic Theory (1987) and Beowulf and Old Germanic Metre (1998).

The Syntax of Beowulf: Word Order, Poetic Meter, and Formulaic Technique in the Old English Verse Clause

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