1. “The Ruin”
Week 2
English III B

2. Who is the author? Anonymous
Only two Old English poets are known by name
Unlike many other Old English poets, the author of “The Ruin” makes no religious reference

3. Music Old English poets have a close link to music
These three devices helped make the poem sound like music:
Caesura- a pause or break in a poetic line
Alliteration-repetition of a consonant sound or a closely associated vowel sound
Mnemonic Device- aids memorization

4. Old English
Old English looks foreign to modern speakers because its spellings, inflections, vocabulary, and syntax are more like Dutch and German than Modern English
The 100 most frequently used English words come from Old English

5. When did “The Ruin” appear?
“The Ruin” was produced on a manuscript in the 10th century

6. Wyrd
The word "wyrd" occurs frequently in Old English and is one of the most important concepts in the Anglo-Saxon period. Translated as "fate," "wyrd" does not refer to a cosmic power that decrees the fall of a particular individual. For Anglo-Saxons, "wyrd" meant simply those events that are beyond human control yet have a profound impact on human destiny.