For this assignment, you will be analyzing the text and drawing out key details. Answers should be based on “The Battle of Brunanburh.” Each of your answers should be explained in your own words, and bolstered by a supporting quote or example. Cite line numbers for your quotes (which is standard when you are quoting poetry). If you use any outside resources (though they are not required), please make sure that they are cited appropriately using MLA format. For failing to appropriately cite, you will lose 15% on this assignment.
“The Battle of Brunanburh” from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in modern translation and Tennysons version:
URL: http://loki.stockton.edu/kinsellt/litresources/brun/brun2.html#modtext
URL: http://loki.stockton.edu/kinsellt/litresources/brun/brun3.html#tennyson
1.Evaluate the action of the battle in order to synthesize a comprehensive view of who, what, when, where, and why in as much detail as possible.
2. Kings in 10th-century England ruled by might and by hereditary right, so it is natural that they were expected to be strong, cunning, and of noble ancestry, but they were also prized for being generous and loyal. Provide examples or quotes that illustrate each of these characteristics, and justify your choices:
2. a. Strength
b. Cunning
c. Noble Ancestry
d. Generosity
e. Loyalty
3. Although this poem is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it was also likely recited for an audience. The scop would have memorized the text, and would have recited each half line alternating with a chord played on a small harp. The slow cadence of the recitation would increase the dramatic tension of the story. Look at Tennysons translation, which more accurately preserves the poetic feel of the original language, and identify examples of the following techniques:
3. a. Kenning
b. Alliteration
c. Understatement (Litotes)
d. Boasting
