Index of Themes and Motifs
Despite the numerous possible readings and interpretations of the poem, scholars and readers universally agree that its principal themes are bravery and love. These concepts permeate the poem, making it impractical to include them in the list below.
The first, italicised, number refers to the DA book and line where the main discussion of the theme or motif can be found; the subsequent numbers refer to pages where the term appears in a relevant context.
abduction
1.61–62; 25, 27, 38, 39, 48, 61–64, 79, 96, 104, 106, 111, 112, 113, 133, 135, 137, 142, 143, 157, 165, 171, 174, 182, 192, 229, 230
adultery
5.11–20; 21, 163, 166, 176, 178, 179, 183, 203, 206, 207, 209, 213–215, 223, 230, 231
battle
4.637–650; 50, 69, 76, 125, 137, 144, 145, 175, 192, 195, 206–211
bird metaphor
3.53–56; 60, 85, 95, 102–104, 142
break under a tree
5.64–65; 170, 189, 193, 197, 212
change of clothes
3.256–260; 101, 210
conversion
1.90; 65, 76, 88, 94, 96, 100, 104, 112, 114, 176, 226
danger emerging from the woods
4.140; 14–15, 120–122, 160, 165, 175, 189, 203, 207, 236
declaration of love
1.297–300; 76, 84, 98, 103, 138–140
dragon
6.47–85; 109, 180–182, 186–188, 219, 229
duel
1.117–127; 55, 67–71, 183, 188, 194, 195, 203, 206, 208–212
Emir’s beauty
1.32–38; 59, 79, 80, 81, 219, 221
Ethiopians
1.32; 59, 176, 224
eyewitness testimony
4.262; 114, 127, 143, 144, 198, 203, 209, 224, 227, 228, 234
faith, family, and fatherland
1.9; 15, 29, 79, 82, 83, 88, 89, 92, 139, 176
family bonds
1.138–140; 67, 81, 86, 93, 104, 134, 140, 147, 148, 151–153, 155, 178, 209
girl in a tree
4.631–633; 143, 165, 175, 197, 204
God’s favour
1.4; 56, 67, 71, 81, 85, 101, 105, 121–123, 140, 151, 155, 158, 159, 161, 167, 192, 198, 207, 223, 224, 233
heliacal imagery
1.253–254; 74, 76, 126, 132, 138, 144, 151, 191, 197–198
horse
1.146; 39–40, 68, 83, 109, 117, 125, 126, 130n, 134, 153, 160, 203–207, 210–213
hunting
1.39–41; 55, 60, 107–109, 117–122, 124, 199, 201, 202, 226, 236
imperial imagery
1.94–96; 65, 66, 70, 97, 101, 115–116, 120, 125, 133, 150, 151, 174, 204, 217, 218n, 224, 234–237
lament
1.231–261; 73, 74, 123, 143, 173, 221, 231, 232, 234–237
letter
1.65–81; 14, 27, 63, 78, 79, 82–84, 94, 107, 108, 157, 158
liminality of the storyworld
1.5–12; 57, 62, 66, 69, 75, 78, 83, 94, 96–98, 101, 105, 114, 154, 157, 168, 201, 234
locus amoenus
5.30–40; 17, 19, 41–43, 168, 174, 182, 185, 186, 189, 199, 211, 213, 215, 217
love entering the soul through the eyes
4.275–277; 128–131, 139, 148, 228
military saints
1.17–25; 58, 154, 159, 210, 220
misogyny
6.425–426; 200, 201, 206, 208
mother’s curse
1.80–81; 64, 66, 67, 83, 89, 93
music
2.13–26; 79, 80, 93, 126, 135, 136, 150–153, 189, 190, 222
nobility
1.30; 26, 38, 56, 59, 63, 68, 76, 77, 88, 92, 113, 115, 118, 122, 127, 141, 145, 171, 185, 200, 222, 226, 236
number three
1.286–295; 75, 90, 150, 153, 155, 172
pass
1.90; 44, 64, 65, 89, 96, 112, 138–139, 229, 235
plant imagery
1.32–38; 59, 60, 95, 103, 111, 136, 140, 149, 150, 152, 174, 185, 186, 190, 224
repentance
5.14–17; 166, 167, 169, 172, 178, 179, 207, 214
retinue of kinsmen
2.30; 81, 90, 97, 104, 143, 150, 152
rite of passage
4.200–245; 80, 101, 106, 108, 124, 125, 153
service to Eros
3.1–8; 87, 92, 94, 95, 101, 132, 133, 135, 138, 176
shamelessness
2.264–286; 90, 132, 138, 139
slaying a lion
3.89–106; 96–97, 122–123, 160, 189, 219, 230
solitude
4.374, 4.956–959; 27, 28, 38, 49, 99, 111, 115, 118, 133–135, 137, 139, 143, 144, 151, 156, 158, 163, 167, 175, 185, 191, 193, 196, 202, 205, 221, 222, 229, 232, 233
staff
4.109–111; 38, 68, 69, 97, 118–120, 170, 189, 192, 194, 197, 203, 219, 237
symmetry between the lovers
2.188–189; 87, 89, 90, 103, 128, 130, 138–139, 141, 190, 228, 232, 233
test
1.301–306; 76, 84, 88
youth
1.43; 14, 38, 61–62, 69, 102, 110, 111, 117, 120, 122, 125, 131, 164, 166, 174, 197, 222, 236