We love your commitment, good luck with week 5

(1HR TO 2HRS)

(A)

Something new and exciting to add authentic Saxon flavour to your writing : the KENNING. We are doing this here because the KENNING works extra-well with writing about sea and ships.

(i) What’s a SIMILE? (google) It’s when you say ‘blah is LIKE blah’ – much used in poetry.

examples :               he’s got a head like a ball/has hair like a bird’s nest

                                 she smokes like a chimney/runs like the wind

(ii) What’s a METAPHOR (google : tricky this one) It’s when you say something IS something else.

examples :                         the cradle of civilisation (not really a ‘cradle’ but the metaphor works)

                                            the fire of youth / the picture of health / the autumn of life

(iii) So who cares, let’s forget about them and introduce the KENNING : something described by TWO things, and the thing itself isn’t there – only the two things. Hm.

examples :                 the birds’-field    =           the sky

                                   the ships’-way              =             the sea

                                     the iron wheat                   =             thicket of spears

                              the face-fungus     =           beard

Using these has a brilliant effect on the sound of a poem : almost a mini-riddle, and with a genuine Saxon and Skaldic ring to it.

(B)

(i) try some : do KENNINGS for a pillow (headcloud?), fork (foodcrane?), trees (earthgiants?), cactus, beer, dragon, mug, shield, knitting. Look round you and use things you can see from where you are.

(C)

Now use some KENNINGS for a small ship/sea poem.

(i) choose a sea-going vessel (steamer, yacht, galleon, quinquereme, tugboat, longship, junk)

(ii) choose weather (hot, cold, calm, tempest, dark, bright)

(iii) choose the journey/purpose (carrying cargo, fishing, war, pleasure)

example : I’m going for KAYAK    ICE/CALM    FISHING

(iv) Write your small ordinary prose bit 50-100 words.

example : kayak floating on freezing water / man lets down his line (I’m alliterating already!)/ will the fish bite / clouds low overhead / icebergs in the distance / a few silent birds / creaks of ice and the plastic hull of the kayak / waiting

(v) Write your little poem : remember half-lines, alliteration and a KENNING. With these 3 weapons you will have all the armoury you need to write super-good Saxon poems.

example :

floating on the freezing                     fishes’-field

Loopy lets down                          his long line

clouds cluster                                       calm and colourless

in the birds’-way above                                  Bergs break and crack

the kayak creaks                                                waiting for a catch

 

You are now a poet, Saxon-style. This would sound good recorded/videoed. And look good drawn/painted/calligraphized.

Next week, Week 6 is a bit optional. The Christian element of Anglo-Saxon poetry isn’t liked by lots of people – but as we owe all the surviving poems to monks and copyists like them, it isn’t surprising they turned things their way as they went. So we’ll do a Saint-poem.

Remember to send any work that you would like looked at to john.gallas@btinternet.com