What is the role of War poetry? Show how it has performed this role throughout history.

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What is the role of War poetry? Show how it has performed this role throughout history.

Meticulous accounts of tragic occasions defined in the timeline of history, war poetry dates back hundreds of years, dignifying and glorifying the bravery of such young soldiers that died and survived, fighting for their country and their beliefs.

Anglo-Saxon war poetry tended to be written directly at or after the scene of the battle, meaning the accounts could be accurate and have significant information included in them. For example, in ‘The Battle of Maldon’, the poet could record exactly what was said by Byrhtnoth and the leader of the Vikings, and write their speeches to every last word. In addition, the poet includes tiny little fragments of feature, for example ‘Then Byrhtnoth spoke, board-shield raised, shook slender spear, gave speech…’ This is evidence of how detailed the poem can become, by expressing little actions and positions the leaders and armies perform.

Another large stylistic point of Anglo-Saxon poetry is their use of alliteration. ‘The Battle of Maldon’s’ line structure is almost entirely based on alliterative words, containing at least two per sentence. For instance, ‘Brave seamen sent me to you, told me to say you should send quickly silver for safety and it’d be sensible for you…’ and ‘roused, resolute, made his reply’. The effect of this is to create a sense of rhythm and impact for the reader, making the poem memorable for them and to strengthen the argument and opinion of the poem.

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In ‘The Battle of Maldon’, the Anglo-Saxon army is eager to fight and decline gold put forth by the Vikings. This shows that the Anglo-Saxons persuade people to fight for the good of their country instead of compromising, and they are proving that if you are a soldier then you will have eternal magnificence and immortality through poems, even if you do not win the war. For example, ‘It would be humiliating for you to be off with our shillings to your ships without a fight, now so far you’ve made an entry into our country!’ The poet uses repetition ...

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