The Phoenix

E503406

The Phoenix is an Old English Christian allegorical poem that uses the mythical bird’s cycle of death and rebirth to symbolize spiritual resurrection and eternal life.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
The Phoenix canonical 4

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian allegorical poem
Old English poem
anonymous true
approximateLength about 677 lines
associatedWith Exeter Book NERFINISHED
audience Christian Anglo-Saxon readers or listeners
author unknown
basedOn Latin poem De ave phoenice NERFINISHED
centralTheme eternal life
spiritual resurrection
compares phoenix’s rebirth to Christian resurrection
contains descriptive nature imagery
moral exhortation
countryOfOrigin England
dateWritten early medieval period
probably 9th century
emphasizes contrast between earthly and heavenly realms
immortality of the righteous
genre allegorical poetry
influencedBy early Christian Latin poetry
intendedFunction didactic religious instruction
interpretsAs spiritual transformation
language Old English
literaryDevice allegory
literaryForm narrative poem
literaryPeriod Old English literature
literaryTradition Anglo-Saxon religious poetry
manuscriptLocation Exeter Book NERFINISHED
meter alliterative verse
originalScript Latin alphabet
portrays cycle of death and rebirth
destruction by fire followed by renewal
preservedIn single manuscript
primarySymbol phoenix (mythical bird) NERFINISHED
religiousTradition Christianity
settingDescribed paradisal landscape
subjectMatter Christian doctrine of resurrection
mythical phoenix bird
symbolizes Christian afterlife
Christ’s resurrection
renewal of the soul
theme heavenly paradise
hope of salvation
transience of earthly life
uses biblical imagery

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Anglo-Saxon literature notableWork The Phoenix
Exeter Book content The Phoenix
Tarik O'Regan notableWork The Phoenix
Nima Yooshij notableWork The Phoenix