The Syntax of Beowulf: Word Order, Poetic Meter, and Formulaic Technique in the Old English Verse Clause

by Geoffrey Russom

In this considerable contribution to Old English philology, Geoffrey Russom integrates important discoveries about syntax, meter, and oral-formulaic composition to interpret striking differences between Old English poetry and prose, including many differences that have previously evaded detection. Russom's integrated approach brings to light general principles of verse structure and formulaic composition that apply in other languages and other poetic traditions as well.

[Text taken from the back cover of the book]

426 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2025

About the author

Professor Emeritus of English, Russom is the author of Old English Meter and Linguistic Theory (1987) Beowulf and Old Germanic Metre (1998), and The Evolution of Verse Structure in Old and Middle English Poetry (2017). In addition to work on English verse form, Russom has published articles on the linguistic history of English, the multicultural backgrounds of Beowulf, and the artistic excellence of preliterate verse traditions. He is best known for arguments showing that rules of poetic meter are abstracted from rules of ordinary language and operate like new linguistic rules.

Reviews

[Reordberend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not familiar with this area but I have to say this is a fascinating and genuinely illuminating study of Beowulf and Old English poetics. What stands out most is how the book explains the distinctiveness of Old English verse (compared to prose), something often sensed but rarely analyzed so clearly.