Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry

ISBN-13: 9780521640367 / Angielski / Twarda / 1999 / 236 str.

Jennifer Neville

Opis

This book examines descriptions of the natural world in a wide range of Old English poetry. Jennifer Neville describes the physical conditions experienced by the Anglo-Saxons and argues that the poetic descriptions were not a reflection of these conditions but a literary device used by Anglo-Saxons to define more important issues, such as the state of humanity, the creation and maintenance of society, the power of individuals, the relationship between God and creation, and the power of writing to control information.

Recenzje

'One of the major strengths of Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry is Neville's ability to convey a consistent account of the Anglo-Saxon Weltanschauung, without systematising, or making overly rigid, this view.' Studia Neophil

Spis treści

Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction: defining the natural world; 2. Defining and confining humanity; 3. Constructing society: outside and inside, powerlessness and control; 4. Standing outside, standing out: defining the individual; 5. Representing God: power in and against nature; 6. Enclosing the natural world, knowledge and writing; 7. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.