Kennings In Beowulf

Kennings are compound, descriptive phrases with metaphorical meanings that stand in for ordinary nouns and
proper nouns in Old English or Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse poetry. The epic poem Beowulf is full of good examples
of kennings, including “whale-road” to mean the sea, “light-of-battle” to mean a sword, “battle-sweat” to mean
blood, “raven-harvest” to mean a corpse, “ring-giver” to mean a king, and “sky-candle” to mean the sun.
Kennings and Other Elements

(Definitions, Identifications, and Explanations of Terms in the Passage)

CHARACTERS

Grendel's Mother - She is a woman with character. She is a beast with claws who fights
pretty well. She is vicious and ill-tempered. All she wants is to avenge the death of her son
killed by Beowulf. Sometimes she is called a Troll-wife. She dwells at the bottom of a mere
in a cave.

Beowulf - He is strong; he is able to lift that which only four men can lift together - Grendel's
head). Besides the head, he is able to lift the sword made by and for giants and fight with it.
He is resolute, does not lose his coolness even though he is weaponless. He is pious, assigns
all his victories to God's help. He is son of Ecgtheow, nephew of Hygelac, and later king of
the Geats.

KENNINGS

KENNING MEANING

Light-of-battle
Sword
Fighting-gear, battle-gear
Body armor
Battle-sweat
Blood
Life would have ended [...] under wide
Would have died
earth
Handle
Hilt
Lake, pond, swamp
Mere

PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN ELEMENTS AND IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS

PAGAN

"to earn him lasting fame" - refers to pagan idea of fame when the warrior fights a foe, who
is very powerful, alone because this way his fame will be greater, despite advises of others
to fight the foe in larger numbers.

"the bairn to avenged" - vendetta is against Christian teaching.

"the tossing waters turbid grew, blood-stained the mere" - a pagan omen.

"safe saw in combat downfall of demons" - "vengeance (revenge) is mine" says the Lord.
Christian belief: Don't avenge - revenge is up to God. Here we see that purpose of life is to
avenge.
CHRISTIAN

"holy God" - reference to monotheism indicative of Christianity.

"wisest Maker, The Lord of Heaven" - reference to monotheism indicative of Christianity.

"wielding all seasons and times: the true God he!" - single God, superior God who is above
all.

Beowulf Attacks Grendel's Mother

(A Short Description of the Passage)

Beowulf sees Grendel's mother in a cave. He tries to hit her with his sword, Unferth's Hrunting, but it fails to pierce her
skin. So he throws the sword away and attacks the mother with his bare hands. He trusts "in his strength, his mighty
hand-grip." Beowulf manages to throw Grendel's mother down; however, she quickly retaliates and is soon sitting on top
of him. She tries to kill him with a dagger, but Beowulf's armor protects him this time. Beowulf managed to throw her off of
himself and sees a sword of enormous size, which he immediately grabs.

This sword has a beautiful ornamented handle and a blade that is hinting that
this is not an average sword. It is "an old sword made by giants, string of its
edges, glory of warriors." Beowulf uses this sword to kill Grendel's mother by
hitting her from above, thus breaking her collar-bones and slicing her into two
halves. At this moment, the fire brightens and lits the cave from inside, "just as
from the sky heaven's candle shines clear." Beowulf looks around and sees dead
Grendel, so he immediately cuts monster's head off to present it to Hrothgar.
As soon as he does that, the lake becomes stained with blood. The watchers ashore interprets this as a sign of Beowulf's
death of the hands of Grendel's mother.

Meanwhile, the blade of Beowulf's new sword melts because the blood is too hot and poisonous for it. Beowulf does not
take anything from the cave besides Grendel's head and the handle of the miraculous sword even though there are many
great treasures around. He swims back to the shore and is heartily greeted by his fellow warriors. Grendel's head is carried
by four men to a place of feast where it is dragged around for entertainment while everyone feasts

 Beowulf was published sometime around 1000 AD, during the Anglo-Saxon period. Very little Anglo-
Saxon literature has survived the centuries, and the 3,182 lines of Beowulf comprise roughly 10% of all
extant Anglo-Saxon literature. The poem was written in Old English, in the tradition of great epics. Like
many epic poems, Beowulf depicts the battle between good and evil.
 Beowulf embodies the traits of an epic hero. He displays courage, strength, and loyalty, and he upholds
the virtues of freedom, justice, and morality. Beowulf's great flaw is his quest for personal glory. Even
after defeating Grendel and his mother and becoming King of Geatland, Beowulf feels the need to prove
himself in battle against the dragon. Ultimately, Beowulf's quest for glory leads to his death.
 Christianity is a central theme in Beowulf. As a classic of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf upholds all the
Christian virtues of the time. It takes place in the 5th or 6th Century, at a time when much of Scandinavia
still worshipped pagan gods. This make the poem somewhat anachronistic in that it imposes Christian
values on characters who would not naturally display them.

The Poem

(Critical Survey of Literature for Students)

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Once, long ago in Hrothgar’s kingdom, a monster named Grendel roamed the countryside at night. Rising from
his marshy home, Grendel would stalk to the hall of the king, where he would seize fifteen of Hrothgar’s
sleeping warriors and devour them. Departing, he would gather fifteen more into his huge arms and carry them
back to his watery lair. For twelve years this slaughter continues.

Word of the terror spreads. In the land of the Geats, ruled over by Hygelac, lives Beowulf, a man of great
strength and bravery. When he hears the tale of Hrothgar’s distress, he sets sail for Denmark to rid the land of
its fear. With a company of fourteen men he comes ashore and asks a coast watcher to lead him to Hrothgar’s
high hall. There he is feasted in great honor while the mead cup goes around the table. Unferth reminds
Beowulf of a swimming contest that Beowulf was said to have lost. Beowulf says only that he has more strength
and that he also slaughtered many deadly monsters in the sea. At the close of the feast, Hrothgar and his
warriors go to their rest, leaving Beowulf and his band in the hall. Then the awful Grendel comes to the hall and
seizes one of the sleeping warriors. He is fated to kill no more that night, for Beowulf without shield or spear
seizes the dreaded monster and wrenches off his right arm. Thus maimed, Grendel flees to his marshland home.
His bloody arm is hung in Hrothgar’s hall.

The next night Grendel’s mother comes to avenge her son. Bursting into the great hall, she seizes one of the
warriors, Aeschere, Hrothgar’s chief counselor, and flees with him into the night. She also takes with her the
prized arm of Grendel. Beowulf is asleep in a house removed from the hall and not until morning does he learn
of the monster’s visit. Then, with Hrothgar leading the way, a mournful procession approaches the dire marsh.
At its edge they see the head of the ill-fated Aeschere and see the stain of blood on the water. Beowulf prepares
for a descent to the home of the foe. Unferth offers Beowulf the finest sword in the kingdom and thus forfeits
his own chance of brave deeds.

As Beowulf sinks beneath the waters of the marsh, he is beset on every hand by prodigious monsters. After a
long swim he comes to the lair of Grendel’s mother. Failing to wound her with Unferth’s sword, he seizes the
monster by the shoulder and throws her to the ground. During a grim hand-to-hand battle, in which Beowulf is
being worsted, he sights a famous old sword of the giants, which he seizes and thrusts at Grendel’s mother, who
falls in helpless death throes. Then Beowulf turns and sees Grendel lying weak and maimed on the floor of the
lair. Quickly he swings the sword and severs Grendel’s head from his body. As he begins to swim back up to
the surface of the marsh, the sword with which he has killed his enemies melts until only the head and hilt are
left. On his return, the Danes rejoice and fete him with another high feast. He presents the sword hilt to
Hrothgar and returns Unferth’s sword without telling that it failed him.

The time comes for Beowulf’s return to his homeland. He leaves Denmark in great glory and sails toward the
land of the Geats. Once more at the court of his lord Hygelac, he is held in high esteem and is rewarded with
riches and position. After many years, Beowulf himself becomes the king of the Geats. One of the Geats
accidentally discovers an ancient hoard of treasure and, while its guardian dragon sleeps, carries away a golden
goblet that he presents to Beowulf. The discovery of the loss causes the dragon to rise in fury and to devastate
the land. Old man that he is, Beowulf determines to rid his kingdom of the dragon’s scourge. Daring the flames
of the dragon’s nostrils, he smites his foe with his sword, but without effect. Once more Beowulf is forced to
rely on the grip of his mighty hands. Of all his warriors only Wiglaf stands by his king; the others flee. The
dragon rushes at Beowulf and sinks its teeth deeply into his neck, but Wiglaf smites the dragon with his sword,
and Beowulf with his war-knife gives the dragon its deathblow.

Weak from loss of blood, the old hero is dying. His last act is to give Wiglaf a king’s collar of gold. The other
warriors now come out of hiding and burn with pagan rites the body of their dead king. From the dragon’s lair
they take the treasure hoard and bury it in the great mound they build over Beowulf’s ashes. Then with due
ceremony they mourn the passing of the great and dauntless Beowulf.
Places Discussed

(Critical Guide to Settings and Places in Literature)

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Heorot

Heorot (HEH-oh-rot). Headquarters of the aging Danish ruler Hrothgar. The great timbered hall is elaborately
described, for only here can human beings be, within limits, civilized. (The unnamed great hall of the warrior-
hero Beowulf’s uncle, King Hygelac of the Geats, resembles Heorot.) A great open hall with smaller divisions,
Heorot is adorned with gold. Its approach is by a stone-paved road. It has benches and tables at which the
retainers of Hrothgar sit. At night it is lit by torches, and its light reaches out to the surrounding wild. It is only
within the king’s hall that court poets can tell and retell the heroic and dreadful tales of the northern peoples, for
these tales demand a proper setting for their force and meaning. The stories give the values of the culture, both
positively and negatively. They teach about the importance of loyalty and about the consequences of both
loyalty and betrayal.

Here the people, or rather the nobles, carry on all the activities of human life; it is where they eat and drink and
where many sleep. But it is nevertheless also close to the wild, not only in being made of wood, but in its name,
for Heorot means “Hart,” or male deer—a noble animal but still animal. In being wood, like others mentioned
in the poem, it can be and will be burned, with great slaughter. The humans who live here can and will be
terrible to one another. Moreover, Heorot’s bright lights and noises offend Grendel, a monstrous descendant of
Cain who is condemned to wander alone in the wastelands. Grendel visits Hrothgar’s hall regularly and carries
off warriors to devour.

Wasteland

Wasteland. There is no description of farming or herding activities in the land around Heorot; indeed, there
seem to be no human inhabitants there. Beowulf and his companions are alone as they pass through it. The great
hall contains everything human in this world. Outside, the world is a great wasteland, dark forest, mists, moors,
narrow dangerous paths, great, gray crags, and no animals or birds, except terrifying water monsters.

Grendel’s cave

Grendel’s cave. This underwater home of the monstrous Grendel and his mother is the opposite of Heorot. It is
home to only two beings, and everything about it is unnatural. Although the entrance to the cave is by way of
water, the cave itself is dry. It too is lit by a fire, but its fire is certainly uncanny. After Beowulf kills Grendel’s
mother, the cave is suddenly illuminated by a magical light. Like the cave of the dragon, it is filled with many
treasures; however, they do not seem to be connected with human activity in any way, not even the sword that
Beowulf finds there and uses.

Dragon’s lair

Dragon’s lair. The dragon lives in a dark cave from which a dark stream of water issues. He guards a great
treasure of precious materials, goblets, bowls, cups, dishes, rings, weapons, and armor. The swords are partially
eaten away by time since they are iron, but most of the objects are made of gold. The hoard was accumulated
and left behind by the last man of a long-forgotten community. All the treasures were created by men and are
thus products of “civilization.” While they seem to give off a kind of light, they are slowly reverting to the
darkness of the nonhuman.

Sea

Sea. The waters of the sea are dangerous for travelers, largely because of sea monsters but implicitly because of
threat to the ships that carry men. Beowulf tells the story of his dreadful battles with these monsters. He wins
these battles, but all bodies of water are nonhuman and perilous as in Beowulf’s terrifying descent into the great
pool or mere where Grendel’s mother lives.

What does Tolkien think of Grendel?

In the commentary to his translation of Beowulf, J. R. R. Tolkien argues that creatures like Grendel are, in the
Scandinavian imagination, essentially the "undead," those who have abandoned God and inhabit areas near
tombs and inaccessible places and "with superhuman strength and malice" plague mankind. They inhabit a kind
of twilight world in which they feel the absence of God but are unwilling or unable to join with God, and their
greatest goal is to ruin mankind's joyfulness, which explains why Grendel is drawn to the celebrations in
Heorot.

Question from the story of the battle with grendel:

1.why did Beowulf go to heorat?

2.did he acheive his goal?prove your point.
3.what happend to grendel after the fight?
4.how did king hrothgar do to Beowulf?
five .how did this part of the epic poem beowulf end?

Answers:

1. to defeat Grendel

2.yes he killed grendel and displayed his arm as a evidence of his victory.

3.he died

4.he gave the golden drinking horn

5. When the dragon mercilessly burns the Geats' homes and lands, Beowulf decides to kill the monster personally. He
and his thanes climb to the dragon's lair where, upon seeing the beast, the thanes flee in terror, leaving only wiglaf to
battle at Beowulf's side. When the dragon wounds Beowulf fatally, Wiglaf slays it.

Task 4 Say Yes or No

1. Grendel was a greedy monster.
ans: Yes
answer support - Crowded with sleeping warriors, stuffed
With rows of young soldiers resting together.
And his heart laughed, he relished the sight,
Intended to tear the life from those bodies
By morning; the monster's mind was hot

With the thought of food and the feasting his belly

Would soon know. But fate, that night, intended
Grendel to gnaw the broken bones
of his last human supper. Human
Eyes were watching his evil steps

Waiting to see his swift hard claws.

Grendel snatched at first Geat
He came to, ripped him apart, cut
His body to bits with powerful jaws,
Drank the blood from his veins, and bolted

2. He was considered the foul enemy of God.

ans: Yes
answer support- The sounds changed, the Danes started
In new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible
Screams of the Almighty's enemy sang
In the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain
And defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel's

3. Beowulf and Grendel had enormous strength.

ans: Yes
answer support- And Danes shook with terror. Down
The aisles the battle swept, angry
And wild. Herot trembled, wonderfully
Built to withstand the blows, the stroggling
Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls;

Shaped and fastened with iron, inside

And out, artfully worked, the building
Stood firm. Its benches rattled, fell
To the floor, gold- covered boards grating
As Grendel and Beowulf battled across them.

4. The weapons of the warriors could easily kill the monster.

ans: No
answer support- From every side, trying to open
A path for his evil soul, but their points
Could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest iron
Could not scratch at his skin, for that sin- stained demon
Had bewitched all men's weapons, laid spell

5. Grendel was afraid of Hrothgar.

ans: No
answer support- Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.
He moved quickly through the cloudy night.
Up from his swampland, sliding silently
Towards that gold- shining hall. He had visited Hrothgar's
Home before, knew the way

6. Grendel swallowed his victims.

ans: Yes
answer support- Waiting to see his swift hard claws.
Grendel snatched at the first Geat
He came to, ripped him apart, cut
His body to bits with powerful jaws.
Drank the blood from his veins, and bolted

Him down, hands and feet; death

And Grendel's great teeth came together,
Snapping life shut.

7. The Danes were not allowed to celebrate the defeat of Grendel.

ans: No
answer support- The victory, for the roof, hanging high
From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the
monster's
Arm, claw and shoulder and all.
And then, in the morning, crowds surrounded
Herot, warriors coming to that hall

8. Grendel was able to escape from Beowulf's hands.

ans: Yes
answer support- Had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped,
But wounded as he was could flee to his den,
His miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh,
Only to die, to wait for the end
of all his days.

9. Hrothgar gaves Beowulf gifts.

ans: No
answer support- Hrothgar never gave any gift to Beowulf.

10. Beowulf was considered the hero of Heorot.

ans: Yes
answer support- From that happy pilgrimage, mounted their hard- hooved
Horses, high- spirited stallions, and rode them
Slowly toward Herot again, retelling
Beowulf's bravery as they jogged along.
Over and over they swore that nowhere

On earth or under the spreading sky

Or between the seas, neither south or north,
Was there a warrior worthier to rule over men.
(But no one meant Beowulf's praise to belittle Hrothgar,
their kind and gracious king!)

Task 13 Rap meant for a hero

"Supermom"

You're the most powerful hero ever,

a woman with no fear in any danger.
I often feels perfect when I'm with you
coz' you always say a word that makes me flatter.
You are patient when I am noisy.
You give guidance when I ask.
It seems you can do most anything.
You're the master of every task.

In our kitchen, you are a perfect cooker.

In my sad atmosphere, you are a joyful liver.
You are also there as an idea sharer
and whenever I'm sick, you are my best caregiver.

You are my hero,

the most influential person in my life,
you are loved by us all,
a mother, sister, and a wife.

A tension breaker in every tension.

Peace maker in every quarrel.
You're a great savior when I'm in danger,
and always also a brainy life director.

As much as you deny it,

you are beautiful inside and out.
Your kindness and unselfishness
is what makes you shine throughout.

You let me know you love me

in so many different ways.
You make me feel important
with encouragement and praise.

Most people think of a hero as a superstar

My hero is an everyday person,
coz' my hero is my mom,
my amazing Supermom!

Beowulf Synopsis"

The poem begins with a brief genealogy of the Danes. Scyld Shefing was the first great king of the Danes,
known for his ability to conquer enemies. Scyld becomes the great grandfather of Hrothgar, the king of the
Danes during the events of Beowulf. Hrothgar, like his ancestors before him, is a good king, and he wishes to
celebrate his reign by building a grand hall called Heorot. Once the hall is finished, Hrothgar holds a large
feasts. The revelry attracts the attentions of the monster Grendel, who decides to attack during the night. In the
morning, Hrothgar and his thanes discover the bloodshed and mourn the lost warriors. This begins Grendel's
assault upon the Danes.

Twelve years pass. Eventually the news of Grendel's aggression on the Danes reaches the Geats, another tribe.
A Geat thane, Beowulf, decides to help the Danes; he sails to the land of the Danes with his best warriors. Upon
their arrival, Hrothgar's thane Wulfgar judges the Geats worthy enough to speak with Hrothgar. Hrothgar
remembers when he helped Beowulf's father Ecgtheow settle a feud; thus, he welcomes Beowulf's help gladly.

Heorot is filled once again for a large feast in honor of Beowulf. During the feast, a thane named Unferth tries
to get into a boasting match with Beowulf by accusing him of losing a swimming contest. Beowulf tells the
story of his heroic victory in the contest, and the company celebrates his courage. During the height of the
celebration, the Danish queen Wealhtheow comes forth, bearing the mead- cup. She presents it first to Hrothgar,
then to the rest of the hall, and finally to Beowulf. As he receives the cup, Beowulf tells Wealhtheow that he
will kill Grendel or be killed in Heorot. This simple declaration moves Wealhtheow and the Danes, and revelry
continues. Finally, everyone retires. Before he lives, Hrothgar promises to give Beowulf everything if he can
defeat Grendel. Beowulf says that he will leave God to judge the outcome. He and his thane sleep in the hall as
the wait for Grendel.

Eventually Grendel arrives at Heorot as usual, hungry for flesh. Beowulf watches carefully as Grendel eats one
of his men. When Grendel reaches for Beowulf, Beowulf grabs Grendel's arm and doesn't let go. Grendel
writhes about in pain as Beowulf grips him. He thrashes about, causing the hall to nearly collapse. Soon
Grendel tears away leaving his arm in Beowulf's grasp. He slinks back to his lair in the moors and dies.

The Danes, meanwhile, consider Beowulf as the greatest hero in Danish history. Hrothgar's minstrel sings songs
of Beowulf and other great characters of the past, including Sigemund ( who slew a dragon) and Heremod ( who
ruled his kingdom unwisely and was punished). In Heorot, Grendel's arm is nailed to the wall as a trophy.
Hrothgar says that Beowulf will never lack for riches, and Beowulf graciously thanks him. The horses and men
of the Geats are all richly adorned, in keeping with Hrothgar's wishes.
Another party is held to celebrate Beowulf's victory. Hrothgar's minstrel tells another story at the feast, the story
of the Frisian slaughter. An ancient Danish king had a daughter named Hildeburh; he married her to a king of
the Frisians. While Hnaef, Hildeburh's brother, visited his sister, the Frisians attacked the Danes, killing Hnaef
and Hideburh's son in the process. Hengest, the next leader of the Danes, desired vengeance, and in the spring,
the Danes attacked the Frisians, killing their leader and taking Hildeburh back to Denmark.

After this story is told, Wealhtheow presents a necklace to Hrothgar while pleading with her brother-in-law
Hrothulf to help her two young sons if they should ever need it. Next she presents many golden treasures to
Beowulf, such as necklace, cups, and rings. Soon the feast ends, and everyones sleeps peacefully.
In the night, Grendel's mother approaches the hall, wanting vengeance for her son. The warriors prepared for
battle, leaving enough time for Grendel's mother to grab one of Hrothgar's counselors and runaway. When
Beowulf is summoned to the hall, he finds Hrothgar in mourning for his friend Aeschere. Hrothgar tells
Beowulf where the creatures like Grendel live in a shadowy, fearful land within the moors.

Beowulf persuades Hrothgar to ride with him to the moors. When they reach the edge of the moors, Beowulf
calls for his armor, takes a sword from Unferth, and dives into the lake. After a long time Beowulf reaches the
bottom of the lake, where Grendel's mother is waiting to attack. Beowulf swings his sword, but discovers that it
cannot cut her, so he tosses it away. They then wrestle until Beowulf spies a large sword nearby. He garbs it by
the hilt and swings killing Grendel's mother by slicing off her head. Still in a rage, Beowulf finds the dead
Grendel in the lair and cuts off his head as a trophy.

As they wait, the Danes have given up all hope for Beowulf because he has been underwater for such a long
time. They are shocked when Beowulf returns with Grendel's head at the hilt of the sword ( which melted with
thee heat of Grendel's blood). They bear the hero and his booty back to Heorot, where another celebration takes
place. Beowulf recounts his battle; Hrothgar praises him and gives him advice on being a king. A grand feast
follows, and Beowulf is given more priceless treasures. The next morning, the Geats look forward to living
Denmark. Before they leave, Beowulf promises aid for Hrothgar from the Danes. Hrothgar praises Beowulf and
promises that their lands will have an alliance forever. As the Geats leave, Hrothgar finds himself wishing
Beowulf would never leave.

After the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, the dragon was defeated but Beowulf has bitten and Beowulf
died.
After his death, the cowards return, to be severely chastised by Wiglaf. He sends a messenger to tell the people
of their kings death. The messenger envisions the joy of Geats' enemies upon hearing of the death of Beowulf.
He also says that no man shall ever the treasure for which Beowulf fought. Wiglaf and Beowulf's thanes toss the
dragon's body into the sea. They place the treasure inside a mound with Beowulf's body and mourn for " the
ablest of all world kings".
Themes

 Beowulf depicts the epic struggle between good and evil. Geat hero Beowulf faces three evil monsters:
Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon at the end of the epic poem. He vanquishes all his foes,
bringing peace to the land, but at a great price. Rather than weaken the forces of good, Beowulf's death
valorizes them, tipping the battle in good's favor.
 Beowulf struggles against both literal and figurative monsters. Though his greatest battles are fought
against hideous creatures, his longest fight is against moral corruption. His chivalric values prevent him
from succumbing to the evils of greed while at the same time allowing him to embrace generosity
toward his people.
 Glory is one of the most important themes in Beowulf. In the beginning of the poem, Beowulf comes to
Hrothgar's aid not just out of generosity but out of a desire to win glory for himself in battle. Beowulf's
quest for glory never ends and drives him, in his old age, to face a foe he cannot hope to defeat. His
death is both heroic and tragic.
Lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal feeling or emotion typically spoken in the first person
while Epic literature is about heroes and their heroic deeds.

Types of Poetry
When studying poetry, it is useful first of all to consider the theme and the overall development of
the theme in the poem. Obviously, the sort of development that takes place depends to a considerable
extent on the type of poem one is dealing with. It is useful to keep two general distinctions in mind
(for more detailed definitions consult Abrams 1999 and Preminger et al 1993): lyric poetry and
narrative poetry.

Lyric Poetry

A lyric poem is a comparatively short, non-narrative poem in which a single speaker presents a state
of mind or an emotional state. Lyric poetry retains some of the elements of song which is said to be its
origin: For Greek writers the lyric was a song accompanied by the lyre.

Subcategories of the lyric are, for example elegy, ode, sonnet and dramatic monologue and most
occasional poetry:

In modern usage, elegy is a formal lament for the death of a particular person (for example
Tennyson’s In Memoriam A.H.H.). More broadly defined, the term elegy is also used for solemn
meditations, often on questions of death, such as Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.

An ode is a long lyric poem with a serious subject written in an elevated style. Famous examples are
Wordsworth’s Hymn to Duty or Keats’ Ode to a Grecian Urn.

The sonnet was originally a love poem which dealt with the lover’s sufferings and hopes. It originated
in Italy and became popular in England in the Renaissance, when Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of
Surrey translated and imitated the sonnets written by Petrarch (Petrarchan sonnet). From the
seventeenth century onwards the sonnet was also used for other topics than love, for instance for
religious experience (by Donne and Milton), reflections on art (by Keats or Shelley) or even the war
experience (by Brooke or Owen). The sonnet uses a single stanza of (usually) fourteen lines and an
intricate rhyme pattern (see stanza forms). Many poets wrote a series of sonnets linked by the same
theme, so-called sonnet cycles (for instance Petrarch, Spenser, Shakespeare, Drayton, Barret-
Browning, Meredith) which depict the various stages of a love relationship.

In a dramatic monologue a speaker, who is explicitly someone other than the author, makes a
speech to a silent auditor in a specific situation and at a critical moment. Without intending to do so,
the speaker reveals aspects of his temperament and character. In Browning's My Last Duchess for
instance, the Duke shows the picture of his last wife to the emissary from his prospective new wife and
reveals his excessive pride in his position and his jealous temperament.

Occasional poetry is written for a specific occasion: a wedding (then it is called an epithalamion,
for instance Spenser’s Epithalamion), the return of a king from exile (for instance Dryden’s Annus
Mirabilis) or a death (for example Milton’s Lycidas), etc.

Narrative Poetry
Narrative poetry gives a verbal representation, in verse, of a sequence of connected events, it
propels characters through a plot. It is always told by a narrator. Narrative poems might tell of a love
story (like Tennyson's Maud), the story of a father and son (like Wordsworth's Michael) or the deeds
of a hero or heroine (like Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel).

Sub-categories of narrative poetry:

Epics usually operate on a large scale, both in length and topic, such as the founding of a nation
(Virgil’s Aeneid) or the beginning of world history (Milton's Paradise Lost), they tend to use an
elevated style of language and supernatural beings take part in the action.

The mock-epic makes use of epic conventions, like the elevated style and the assumption that the
topic is of great importance, to deal with completely insignificant occurrences. A famous example is
Pope's The Rape of the Lock, which tells the story of a young beauty whose suitor secretly cuts off a
lock of her hair.

A ballad is a song, originally transmitted orally, which tells a story. It is an important form of folk
poetry which was adapted for literary uses from the sixteenth century onwards. The ballad stanza is
usually a four-line stanza, alternating tetrameter and trimeter.

Descriptive and Didactic Poetry

Both lyric and narrative poetry can contain lengthy and detailed descriptions (descriptive poetry)
or scenes in direct speech (dramatic poetry).

The purpose of a didactic poem is primarily to teach something. This can take the form of very
specific instructions, such as how to catch a fish, as in James Thomson’s The Seasons (Spring 379-
442) or how to write good poetry as in Alexander Pope’s Essay on Criticism. But it can also be meant
as instructive in a general way. Until the twentieth century all literature was expected to have a
didactic purpose in a general sense, that is, to impart moral, theoretical or even practical knowledge;
Horace famously demanded that poetry should combine prodesse (learning) and delectare
(pleasure). The twentieth century was more reluctant to proclaim literature openly as a teaching tool.

http://www2.anglistik.uni-freiburg.de/intranet/englishbasics/PoetryTypes01.htm

Differences in Lyrical & Epic Poems

Epic and lyric poems describe two of the most common and well-known types of literature. By better understanding the
ways that these types of poetry differ, readers in general and students who are studying these types of works can not
only identify an epic or a lyric but can also better understand the meaning and purpose of these styles.

Length

Epic poems are usually quite long, much longer than lyric poems, which are short by definition. The most
famous epic poems, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," both written by Homer, are as long as a contemporary
novel. A lyric poem, meanwhile, is usually less than a page long.

Purpose

The purpose of an epic poem is to show us the exploits of a particular hero or set of heroes. It usually involves
important elements of history and can spread across several countries and periods of time or across different
planes of existence (for example, "The Divine Comedy" by Dante takes place in heaven and hell. A lyric poem,
though, is usually focused on an individual emotion or experience.

Main Character

The epic poem is often written from a third-person perspective, with a writer describing the exploits of a hero at
the center of the action. For example, Achilles is the hero at the center of "The Iliad," and Odysseus is the hero
of the epic poem "The Odyssey." A lyric poem often is written from a first-person point of view, with an "I"
telling the reader about a personal experience or emotional response.

Form

Epic poems come in several different forms, depending on the language in which they are written and the time
period. The similarity, though, is that all epics are written in some poetic form, often including rhyming. Lyric
poetry, though often in forms (such as the sonnet), may also be written in free verse with lines that do not
rhyme.

Lyric poetry and epic poetry are two different types of literary art. However, they are similar due to the fact that they
are both poems. Epic is a grand narrative of the adventures of a hero or a god, and is basically, a form of oral story
telling. On the other hand, lyric poetry, although an ancient literary art form, can still be found today, and these are the
poems that typically express one’s feelings and experiences.

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