The Force Awakens is everywhere! I promise this isn’t about to become a Star Wars blog (I know, Brain Popcorn has already felt the Force.) However, I have been a Star Wars fan for all my conscious life, so the past few weeks have been really awesome for me. I’ve watched the movie twice now, and have been enjoying the reactions, speculations, and energy exploding all over the internet, my friends’ and family’s conversations, and also my pile of Christmas presents. (It was a Merry Geekmas, indeed!)
Why is Star Wars a story that so many people dedicate so much passion and attention to? Some of its appeal has to lie in the way the characters and the story fit certain archetypes, while telling universal stories of love and loyalty, curiosity and courage, hope and betrayal and redemption. In fact, in the first round of media coverage, a young Mark Hamill described Star Wars as “The Stuff Fairytales are Made Of.”
As an avid fairy tale fan myself, I have to agree. And in honor of the way Star Wars hearkens to some very old methods of storytelling, here is a poem I wrote for a high school English assignment (a long time ago in a galaxy approximately 35 minutes away by MBTA). We were told to write an epic story using the literary style of Beowulf, including alliteration, assonance, and kennings. (We were also told that rhyme was unnecessary, but I was bad at avoiding rhyme in high school, so take it up with 15-year-old me.)
Any epic story would do, and therefore…
The Destruction of the Death Star
Now the dreaded Death Star drew near,
and the rebels, brave and bold,
fearlessly flew to fight their foe.
Luke Skywalker, our hero young,
was one of those who made the run
through narrow trench, with twists and turns,
escaping death from laser burns.Though many tried, their fighters frail
could save them not from deadly hail.
In screaming-balls and flying-crosses
they burst in burning balls of gases.
Darth Vader, evil robot-breather
singled out Skywalker’s ship,
but Force-protected on Luke flew
pursued by Vader’s implacable ire.Handsome Han Solo, sarcastic smuggler
spun vanquished Vader to space’s void,
leaving Luke alone to finally fire
the deadly blast to the dark-moon’s heart.
With the Death Star destroyed, the duo landed
greeted by lovely Princess Leia
giving them both due glory and fame,
the heroes of the new rebel era.
What literary style would you use to tell the story of the new Star Wars cast of characters? Have you got a good kenning for BB-8? Share your best scavenger-meets-stormtrooper couplet below!
Sea Dreams and Time Machines 