Old English Literature / Anglo-Saxon literature
CAEDMON and CYNEWULF were major poets of this period. It is difficult to mention which work belongs to Caedom. But Cynewulf certainly wrote four poems which are Juliana, Fates of the Apostles, Christ, and Elene. His poems are religious and were probably written within the last half of the 8th century. Poetry was written in alliterative tradition. Many lyric poems were also written during this period. They are, The Husband's Message, The Wanderer, The Wife's Complaint, and Doer's Complaint. Deor might have been singer who has lost his lord's favor. So he complains, but tries to comfort himself by remembering other sorrows of the planet .
Many heroic epics were also written during this period. These poems glorified a true or imaginary hero and tried to show the values of bravery and generosity. The greatest heroic epic is Beowulf which belongs to the 7th century.· Many poems of this era were religious in theme often influenced from the Bible. Among them are Genesis A, Genesis B, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan and therefore the Dream of the Rood. The Genesis B is about the start of the planet , the autumn of the angles and God's punishment to Satan. The Exodus describes how the Israelite left Egypt. Similarly another poem Christ and Satan deals with the events in Christ's life and His struggle with Satan. The important prose writer's of this era were King Alfred and Aelfric. King Alfred translated variety of Latin books into Old English, in order that his people could read them. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is that the first important prose add English literature which contains the first history of the country. King Alfred ordered the gathering of this early history and number of early writings and brought them into order. He brought back learning to England and improved the education of his people. Similarly, Aelfric wrote mainly religious prose like Homilies and Lives of Saints. He also wrote call at Old English the meaning of the primary seven books of the Bible.
Beowulf
Beowulf is that the greatest and therefore the first Old English heroic poem , which is the product of the 7th century. It is an anonymous writing. The name of its author is therefore unknown. It is a narrative of 3000 lines. It is written using old English language. Beowulf, a brave young man of southern Sweden goes to Denmark to assist King Hrothgar and his people. Hrothgar is in trouble because his hall - Heorot is visited in the dark by a terrible creature, Grendel. Grendel lives during a lake and involves eat Hrothgar's men. One night Beowulf waits secretly, and when it comes to attack the people, he pulls its arm off. Grendel escapes to the lake but dies there. Then, its mother involves the hall for revenge. Terrible fight begins between Grendel's mother and Beowulf. Beowulf follows her to rock bottom of the lake and kill her there. The King Hrothgar rewards Beowulf with many treasures.Fifty years later Beowulf, now king of his hometown , fights a fire-breathing dragon that has devastated his people. He kills the animal but is badly wounded within the fight, and dies. The poem ends with a sorrowful description of Beowulf's funeral fire.The verse of this epic follows alliterative tradition. Metaphors are abundantly used: for instance , whale's road is employed for ocean; sea soldier is employed for a sailor.
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