Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department / School

English and Interdisciplinary Studies

First Advisor

Michael Nagy

Abstract

T. A. Shippey once referred to “Deor” as “that most perfect of Old English poems.” And indeed, the poem cannot help but inspire the reader to deep contemplation, even as it baffles scholars in so many ways. From its rare stanzaic structure to its anomalous refrain—“þæs ofer eode þisses swa mæg”—the elegy has inspired much debate within the scholarship. In fact, one of the few agreements among the scholars of “Deor” is the poem’s capacity to undermine all interpretations. The poem has the remarkable quality of mentioning many well-known legendary and historical figures while, at the same time, denying the audience a conclusion to draw about them. Indeed, conclusions about the poem are as numerous as they are nebulous, ranging from character and narrative analysis to poetic structure and translation. However, it is the inconclusive nature of “Deor” that merits particular attention. In presenting the audience with so many contrasts and questions, the poem effectively negates any meanings it presents. Viewed as a troublesome hurdle in the past, this apophasis actually serves as an interpretive tool with which to analyze the poem more comprehensively. By examining “Deor” through the lens of Monster Theory, which relies on negation of meaning to achieve a transcended meaning, scholars can view the poem’s ambiguity as an integral literary method, encouraging audiences to transcend their understandings of the formative world. The very structure of the poem, unique in Old English poetry, urges audiences to examine aspects of reality with unimpaired perspective. This thesis addresses the apophatic qualities of “Deor,” specifically in reference to the translation and interpretation it requires, the characters it mentions, and the poetic form it uses. Each of these aspects of the poem are paradoxical and therefore monstrous, making “Deor” a monstrous poem.

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Rights Statement

In Copyright