Byrhtnoth's Poem 'Battle Of Maldon'

The Battle of Maldon is a poem that revels in British heroism and loyalty. Yet it is not the slaying of the enemy, but the failure of Byrhtnoth and his troop that is so heroic and, therefore, the vanquished are remembered long after the victors are forgotten. In this passage, an interesting relationship arises between poetic diction and meaning to describe Byrhtnoth’s rallying of his troops and the message sent across the water by the enemy. This passage is particularly important because the Vikings views on the Anglo-Saxon people are clearly noted and their strength as an opposition force which creates interesting tension through the speech used.

The first and most notable aspect of these lines is the interesting alliterative verse used throughout to draw
Although there is the repetition of letters on every line in this passage, most are used for an aesthetic purpose, rather than heightening the meaning within. There are exceptions to this, however, as select lines should be treated with extra care when reading aloud. For example, Byrhtnoth’s loyal retainers are described on line 24 as ‘þær he his heorðwerod holdost wiste’. Although they are split by the lines caesura, the poet has made the connection between the compounded ‘body of household retainers’, ‘heorðwerod’ and their devotion to their leader through ‘holdost’. These two words flow easily when spoken, emphasising the loyalty of Byrhtnoth’s men. Furthermore, the poet has used alliteration to create the connection between strength and the Viking invaders. This is done explicitly in line 29 as the messenger delivers a command from ‘sæmen snelle’. These bold seamen are described in such a way that the words seem to become one when spoken, solidifying the strength of the invaders. The boasting threat, ‘beot’, from the seafarers is alliterated by their description as ‘brimliþendra’. This immediately associates the invaders