Compare and contrast the lyric poetry of the Anglo-Saxon period to the Renaissance based on the selections you read in the Anglo-Saxon Period: 449–1066 unit and the Renaissance: 1485–1660 unit. Describe what literary devices were commonly used and what themes were most frequently addressed in both periods. Include at least one specific example from each period. Your response should be at least one paragraph long.

Answer:- 

Anglo-Saxon Lyric Poetry

Literary devices: Anglo-Saxon lyric poetry is characterized by its use of alliteration, kennings, and onomatopoeia. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, while kennings are compound nouns that are used to describe something in a more poetic way. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like what they are describing.

Themes: Anglo-Saxon lyric poetry often deals with themes of death, battle, and the natural world. For example, the poem “The Wanderer” is about a man who has lost his home and his friends, and is wandering the world in search of a new place to belong.

Renaissance Lyric Poetry

Literary devices: Renaissance lyric poetry is characterized by its use of metaphor, simile, and personification. Metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.” Simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the words “like” or “as.” Personification is giving human qualities to something that is not human.

Themes: Renaissance lyric poetry often deals with themes of love, beauty, and nature. For example, the poem “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare is a love poem that compares the speaker’s beloved to a summer’s day.