: The Boast*

We have read of the many exploits of Beowulf and the many brave thanes among the Danes, Geats, and Swedes. We know, too, that the Anglo-Saxons saw nothing wrong with letting the world know who they were, who their noble parents were, what great feats they had accomplished and what they planned to do. This boasting was perfectly polite, even expected. In Beowulf, see lines 250-285, 407-426, 632-638, and 2510-2515 for examples of the formal Anglo-Saxon boast.

Your assignment is to write a formal boast about yourself and perform it for the class. Tell us your deeds, who your daddy/mama are, what you plan to do, and how you're not gonna take nothing from nobody. Your accomplishments may be academic, athletic, musical, social, artistic, etc. Lay aside your humility! Remember, you'll soon be applying for college anyway, and may need to do a bit of boasting.

Guidelines:

Your boast must show your understanding of Anglo-Saxon poetry by following the Anglo-Saxon poetic format:

• Four hard beats per line,
• No end-rhyme
• A caesura in each mid-line
• Heavy alliteration in each line

Further, include at least two examples of an original kenning.

Length: 10-20 lines