What distinguishes Old English alliterative verse from later Middle English rhymed poetry?
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Correct answer: Its stress-based, alliterative structure
Old English verse relies on stress and alliteration rather than end rhyme. Later Middle English poetry increasingly favored rhyme schemes.
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More Alliterative Verse questions
- Which genre most commonly employs alliterative verse in Old English literature?
- Why was alliterative verse well suited to oral tradition?
- What is an a-verse in Old English poetry?
- What is a b-verse in Old English poetry?
- Which poetic feature often accompanies alliterative verse to add imagery?
- Which of the following best describes the meter of Old English alliterative verse?