What 'fate' has befallen the people in 'The Ruin'?
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Correct answer: They perished from plague and widespread slaughter
The poet of 'The Ruin' observes that death took away the entire population of the city, leaving the 'bright dwellings' empty. The poem notes that 'days of pestilence came' and 'death took all the brave men away,' leaving only silent ruins.
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More Heroic Elegies questions
- Which of the following describes the 'ubi sunt' motif commonly found in Old English heroic elegies?
- In the poem 'The Wanderer,' what has happened to the speaker's 'gold-wine' (gold-friend)?
- Which Old English poem is unique for featuring a refrain, 'Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg,' to structure its lament?
- The concept of 'Wyrd' in heroic elegies is best translated as which of the following?
- What architectural feature does the speaker of 'The Ruin' describe as the 'work of giants' (enta geweorc)?
- Which poem is considered a 'frauenlied' (woman's song) because it is written from a female perspective expressing loss and isolation?