Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Ann C. Watts. The Lyre and the Harp: A Comparative Reconsideration of Oral Tradition in Homer and Old English Epic Poetry. New Haven: Yale University Press. Rpt. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1980.

Describes what she calls the "imperfect application" of Parry and Lord's discoveries about Homer to OE poetry, criticizing the lack of rigor in definition, and viewing the practice of analogy as dubious. Redefines the formula and formulaic system (p. 90, p. 144, respectively) to account for OE prosody. Feels that the demonstration of orality in OE verse is finally unconvincing.
Area: OE, AG, CP