<i>The Poetic Art of Aldhelm</i> (review)
Russell Poole
Reviews 229 ordinary people through confraternities, education, retreats, spiritual direction towards understanding, a relish of the truth and entering into 'liberty spirit', with Loyola's injunction to 'find God in all things'. conviction that transcendent religion human culture mysteriously interpenetrate was fundamental our understanding Jesuits' acceptance Renaissance humanism. These various concepts help explain how early Jesuit missionaries so easily accepted affirmed values Jewish, Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese Indian cultures. The Jesuits were thus not intended 'defend faith' against Protestants. Their 'reform' counter-reform but conversion life direct contact between Creator creature. Heresy therefore simply lack heart—an ancient view, also, though point is made, found widely England before Reformation. For reformatio pastoral concept— teaching, preaching, supporting, mediating. In O'Malley's succinct phrase 'eyes set on Jerusalem, Wittenberg'. would be better placed, he suggests, under 'Early M o d e m Catholicism', instead categories 'Counter-Reformation' or 'Catholic Reformation' Restoration'. final article contemporary tract for times priesthood religious life. again emphasising role ministry which has been missing from much historiography, John O'Malley reminds us w need extend cultural history. Barry Collett Department History University Melbourne Orchard, Andy, Poetic Art Aldhelm (Cambridge Studies AngloSaxon 8), Cambridge, Cambridge Press, 1994; cloth; pp. xiii, 314; R.R.P. AU$120.00. Saint Aldhelm, stigmatised by Frederick Tupper as 'mighty lifter', this propensity placed its context Anglo-Saxon poetic craft Andy Orchard's splendid new contribution distinguished series. Even sedulous 'mimicry', ultimately goes beyond reproduction object re-shape it idiosyncratically, commonplace culturally 230 colonised mentalities, there are few poets h raised mimicry such levels accomplishment Aldhelm—a hinted at himself. So often represents an extreme Latin verse composition, piling up alliteration, discountenancing dactyl, generally bequeathing radically re-shaped hexameter his numerous followers Continent. What kind signature correspondingly have upon vernacular unfortunately matter speculation. exposition necessarily relies upon^the demonstration verbal parallels earlier poetry. location improves markedly previous research, adding cogent examples eliminating weak ones. Admittedly, relative probability lexical collocations Orchard identifies yet calculated empirical basis depend, inter alia, word-frequency index ensemble Latin-language poets. But, pending mammoth statistical investigation, does what can minimise subjectivity. knowledge poetry survey based compels admiration. Similarly impressive analysis possible sources octosyllabic line Aldhelm's structural use alliteration. Less fully conclusive tests orality adapted Peabody: enjambment, particular, cannot used universally disallow when prevalent presumptively oral corpus skaldic reconstructs who, like poet, depended heavily pre-set material. He operated fixed positions syntactic items within cobbled together remembered scraps astonishing variety poems, own included. Occasionally only witness content lost texts, Lucan's Orpheus. H actively enhanced borrowings, 'lift' incorporated one poem might turn later, time embellished alliteration conflated another borrowing. His tenacious memory could work subtle ways. W see, example, Enigma 89 ('book-cupboard') word 'area' forms solution...
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