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-- 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 -- Introduction: How Can We Know About Anglo-saxon Poets? -- 1. What Was A Poet? -- 2. Who Became Poets? -- 3. The Poet In The Community -- 4. The Poet Alone -- 5. Spectral Communities -- Afterword: A Way Of Happening -- Appendix I. A Handlist Of Named Authors Of Old English Or Latin Verse In Anglo-saxon England -- Appendix Ii. Skalds Working In Anglo-saxon England -- Bibliography. Emily V. Thornbury. Series Numbering From Publisher's Website. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "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"-- Résumé de l'éditeur List of figures and tables -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: How can we know about Anglo-Saxon poets? -- 1. What was a poet? -- 2. Who became poets? -- 3. The poet in the community -- 4. The poet alone -- 5. Spectral communities -- Afterword: A way of happening -- Appendix I. A handlist of named authors of Old English or Latin verse in Anglo-Saxon England -- Appendix II. Skalds working in Anglo-Saxon England -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index