Answer two of the following as usual:
Q1: Though the Sagas are traditionally in prose, many feature extended poems throughout the narrative, often referencing mythical events and famous battles. What do you make of the long poem Byrnhild recites in Chapter 21 concerning the runes? Why did the author take such pains to include this? Do you get the sense that it's an original work or something age-old that he included in the narrative for authenticity?
Q2: In Chapter 23, the rapid-fire narrative stops dead for an entire chapter about Sigurd's appearance, which almost never happens in the Sagas. What does the writer want us to see/understand about Sigurd that we didn't previously know? And why doesn't this happen the first time we meet him, rather than at this point in the story?
Q3: One of the most powerful lines in the story occurs at the end of Chapter 27, when Brynhild tells Gudrun the meaning of her dream, and she responds, "The grief of knowing such things overwhelms me" (78). Why do the characters in this story often ignore their fate, or plunge heedlessly ahead, even knowing what awaits them? Is this a fatal flaw, or a cultural virtue?
Q4: If you know Tolkein's work (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit) how do these chapters evoke many of his scenarios and ideas? How might he have drawn inspiration from this work, particularly through many of the themes he employs throughout the work?
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