Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jorge Luis Borges' poem "Embarking on the Study of Anglo-Saxon Grammar" is a meditation on the profound connections between language, history, and identity. In this work, Borges reflects on his journey back through time as he studies Anglo-Saxon, a language that is an ancestor of modern English. Through the poem, he contemplates the vast distances that time has created between him and the world of Northumbria and Mercia, yet he also feels a deep connection to this ancient past through the study of its language.

The poem opens with a recognition of the immense span of time that separates Borges from his Anglo-Saxon ancestors: "After some fifty generations / (Such gulfs are opened to us all by time)." This acknowledgment of time’s vastness sets the stage for the poet’s exploration of the past, as he metaphorically "comes back on the far shore of a vast river"—a river that represents the divide between his contemporary life and the distant past of the Anglo-Saxons. Borges imagines himself returning to a world "never reached by the Norsemen’s long ships," suggesting that the world he is revisiting through language is both distant and distinct from his own.

Borges describes his engagement with the "harsh and work-wrought words" of the Anglo-Saxons, words that were once spoken in "the days of Northumbria and Mercia" before he became Haslam or Borges. This line emphasizes the poet’s exploration of a linguistic and cultural heritage that predates his own identity. The reference to Haslam, an English surname in Borges' ancestry, and his own surname, Borges, highlights the personal nature of this linguistic journey. It’s as if he is tracing back through his lineage, not just through blood, but through the language that his ancestors might have spoken.

He then shifts to describe a recent Saturday when he and others read about Julius Caesar’s arrival in Britain, an event marking the beginning of recorded history in that region from the perspective of the Roman Empire. Borges anticipates the rich literary experiences that await him as he delves deeper into Anglo-Saxon literature, expecting to encounter the "nightingale of the riddle" and the "elegy intoned by the twelve warriors / Round the burial mound of their king." These references point to classic Anglo-Saxon texts, such as the riddles of the "Exeter Book" and the famous elegy in "Beowulf", where warriors mourn their fallen leader. For Borges, these ancient words and symbols are not merely historical artifacts; they are gateways to a living past.

Borges reflects on how these ancient words, which now seem like "Symbols of other symbols," were once "fresh images" used by people of that time to describe the world around them—whether invoking "the sea or a sword." This line suggests a deep appreciation for the original, creative power of language, and the way it evolves over time. The words that once vividly represented the tangible world have, over centuries, become abstractions and echoes in modern languages.

The poet looks forward to the time when these ancient words will come alive again for him: "Tomorrow they will come alive again; / Tomorrow fyr will not become fire but rather / Some vestige of a changeable tamed god / Whom no one can confront without feeling an ancient fear." Here, Borges captures the mystical and powerful nature of language, particularly the way that ancient words can evoke emotions and imagery far beyond their modern counterparts. The word "fyr" (Old English for fire) represents more than just the element; it conjures up ancient beliefs and fears associated with fire as a powerful and potentially dangerous force.

In the final lines, Borges offers a tribute to the "inexhaustible / Labyrinth of cause and effect," acknowledging the complex and interwoven nature of history, language, and identity. He praises the chain of events that has led him to this "perfect contemplation / Of a language at its dawn." This contemplation, for Borges, is a mirror through which he may see "no one or shall see some other self." The mirror symbolizes the poet’s search for identity through the study of language, suggesting that understanding this ancient language might reveal something fundamental about himself—or perhaps about the universal human experience.

"Embarking on the Study of Anglo-Saxon Grammar" is a deeply philosophical poem that explores the connections between the past and present, between language and identity. Through his engagement with the ancient words of the Anglo-Saxons, Borges reflects on the nature of language as a living, evolving entity that bridges the vast distances of time, allowing us to connect with the lives and thoughts of those who lived centuries before us. The poem is a celebration of linguistic and cultural heritage, and of the enduring power of words to shape and define our understanding of the world.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...