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The star-like soul in the metra of the Old English Boethius

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2011

Karmen Lenz
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Abstract

The central theme in both versions of the Old English Boethius is the Christian conversion of the soul. In the prosimetrical version, this theme is highlighted further in the metra through the poetic trope of the human soul figured as a star to reinforce the teaching in the prose passages. In the course of the metra, the trope increasingly focuses on the inner life of the man engaged in earthly affairs as he strengthens his moral resolve and his divine affiliation through meditation. Repetition and variations of the trope in Metres 5, 10, 20, 22 and 23 represent the soul's shift from despair to understanding.

Type
Research Article
Information
Anglo-Saxon England , Volume 39 , December 2010 , pp. 139 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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