Stress and Caesura. Stress, or accent, is the level of emphasis given to a syllable. Syllables are generally described as being strongly or weakly stressed, (accented or unaccented). A caesura is a major pause in a line of poetry. Most Old English poetry follows a special verse form that relies on rhythmic techniques, including stress and caesura, rather than rhyme. The typical Old English verse is composed of lines that have four strong stresses, or beats. In the middle of the line is a pause, or caesura. As you read aloud the sample lines of Old English in “Cædmon’s Hymn,” listen for patterns in each line of two strong stresses, a pause, and two strong stresses. When reading these lines, bear in mind that sc in Old English is pronounced as sh, and the character p (called a thorn) has the sound of the modern th.
Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Old English verse uses alliteration extensively. Often the first three strongly stressed syllables use alliteration, beginning with the same consonant sound.
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“The Story of Cædmon” is an excellent example of an early miracle tale of the kind usually found in saints’ lives. Another interesting aspect of the selection is that it shows, at the very dawn of English literature, the important role played by women. It was a woman, Hild, founder of Whitby Abbey, who made possible the literary career of the first English writer whose name has come down to us.
Read through the lines below, noting examples of alliteration (which are underlined), strongly stressed syllables (which are marked with a slash), and caesuras (indicated by a break in the line).
What song lyrics mean the most to you? What appeals to you about these lyrics?
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