Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Kemp Malone. "Caedmon and English Poetry." Modern Language Notes, 76:193-95.

Another negative response to Magoun 1953a. Contends that OE Christian poetry cannot answer Magoun's dicta because formulas would have to be invented as the singer went along, whereas Magoun theorizes that phraseology is built up over long periods of time. Not a clever argument, especially for a scholar who knew OE diction so thoroughly.
Area: OE