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LECTURE 5
OLD ENGLISH POETRY
Old English poetry has survived as limited epic stories of battles. The most famous of these remained pieces is the poem “Beowulf”.
Old English poetry is typically characterised in two ways. There is the heroic poetry of the Germanic pre-Christian period. This poetry was of an oral tradition.
There is also Christian poetry that was placed down in writing. Historically, the Saxons had a tradition of oral poetry, but the advent of Christianity was the opportunity to place these stories in writing.
The main characteristic of an Old English poetry is the celebration of the warrior, the adventure and the conqueror.
There are two types of Old English poetry: the heroic and historical poems and the Christian poetry. Beowulf is the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest poem in Old English. The poem celebrates the hero’s fearless struggles against monsters. It belongs to the heroic poetry. “The Wanderer”, “The Seafarer” belong to the Christian poetry. “The Battle of Maldon” and “The Battle of Brunanburh” are based on historical episodes and celebrate great heroism.

LECTURE 6

OLD ENGLISH POETRY
HISTORICAL EPIC POEMS
English epic poems began with Beowulf. An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. Epic poetry tells a dramatic story in a poem. There are characters in the story. It is usually long and takes place in different settings. Epic poem started in pre-historic times of oral tradition. Beowulf is a typical example, written in Old English.
BEOWULF
Beowulf is the most important work in Old English literature. It is the oldest surviving German epic and the longest Old English poem. It is about three thousand lines long and the story includes three battles. This epic poem was likely composed between 700 and 750, in Anglo-Saxon language. It is a literary masterpiece.
Themes in Beowulf are:
Heroic Code
Good vs. Evil
Loyalty
Death and Defeat
Hospitality
The poem falls into two parts. The poem relates Beowulf’s heroic exploits over 50 years, including the fights with Grendel and his mother and with treasure-guarding dragon. It opens in Denmark, where King Hrothgar’s splendid hall, Heorot, has been ruined for 12 years by monster, Grendel. This monster carries Hrothgar’s warriors and devours them. Unexpectedly, young Beowulf, a prince of the Geats of southern Sweden, arrives with a small band of men and offers to cleanse Heorot of its monster. At first, Hrothgar is surprised then he lets Beowulf to fight with monster.
At night Beowulf kills Grendel and soon his mother came to revenge her son’s death. Beowulf beheaded her, too.
After this victory, Beowulf returns home as a king of Geats. Heorot sends him to his country as a king. After these fights Beowulf becomes a mighty and generous king of Geats for 50 years.
Finally, he had to fight a massive dragon to protect his people. He and dragon both die in the struggle, but he is heroic until the end.

LECTURE 7

OLD ENGLISH POEM “THE BATTLE OF MALDON”
The battle of Maldon took place on 11 August 991 A.D. near Maldon beside River Blackwater in Essex, England. Earl Byrhtnoth led Anglo-Saxons against Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat.
“The Battle of Maldon” is the name of a survived 325-line fragment of Old English poetry. It describes a historical fight between East Saxons and Viking raiders. It is incomplete. Its beginning and ending both lost. The poem is remarkable for its vivid, dramatic combat scenes and for its expression of the Germanic feature of loyalty to a leader.
The poem begins with Byrhtnoth ordering his men to stand and hold their weapons. The Viking sailed up to a small island in the river. At low tide, the river leaves a land bridge from this island to the shore. Olaf addresses the Saxons, promising to sail away if he was paid with gold and armour from the lord. Byrhtnoth replied, “We will pay you with spear tips and sword blades.”
When the Vikings cannot advance because of their poor position, Byrtnoth allows them safe conduct across the stream, and the battle follows. In spite of Byrhtnoth’s supreme feats of courage, he is finally slain. In panic some of the English warrior desert. The names of deserters are carefully recorded in the poem.
The Viking overcame the Saxons after losing many men, killing Byrhtnoth. After the battle his body was found with the head missing, but his gold-hilted sword was still with his body. The 325- line fragment ends with the speech of the old warrior.
LECTURE 8
WRITERS FROM THE Old ENGLISH PERIOD
The four Anglo-Saxon poems have the name of Cynewulf. Most Old English poets are anonymnous. Twelve of them are known by name from Medieval sources. Only four of tthose poets are known by their survived works. These are Caedmon, Bede, Alfred and Cynewulf. Only Caedmon, Bede and Alfred have their biographies.
Bede, Venerable (673-735). Bede was an English monk and historian. Bede was born in Northumbria and became a monk at Jarrow where he stayed all his life. Bede is known as the author of “Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum” which means Ecclesiastical history of the English people. It is the main historical source for the Old English period. He was an accurate and reliable observer. He was collector of historical information. He wrote when and how the initial Germanic invasion of Britain took place.
Caedmon (650-680) was the earliest of the Old English Christian poets. The only information about Caedmon is noted in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People by the English historian Bede. According to Bede, Caedmon was uneducated cowherd who had a dream in which a voice ordered him to sing the praises of the creation. He received his gift in his dream. The important point is that he was given the gift of singing stories about religious subjects and the creation of the world. This was how the Caedmon’s Hymn was created. It was recorded in several dialect versions in Old English by Bede. Caedmon was recognised and on the recommendation of Saint Hilda became a brother at the monastery of Whitby and continued to compose poetry on biblical themes.
Caedmon is considered the father of Old English poetry. Only a single nine- line poem remains, called Hymn, which is also the oldest surviving text in English.
Anglo-Saxon songs and stories were always about battles, heroic but violent deeds, monsters- stories like “Beowulf”. The story of Caedmon pictures the use of the Anglo-Saxon custom of singing in the hall. By this they introduced Christian stories to the pagan Anglo-Saxons.
Cynewulf has proven to be a difficult figure to identify. But recent reseatch suggests he was from the early part of the 9th century and wrote a number of poems including “The Fates of the Apostles” and” Elene” (both found in the Vercelli Book) and “Christ II” and “Juliana” ( both found in the Exeter Book).
LECTURE 9
CHRISTIAN POETRY
The Wandered and The Seafarer
The Vercelli Book and Exeter Book contain four long narrative poems of saints’ lives. In Vercelli are “Andreas” and “Elene”, and in Exeter are “Guthlac” and “Juliana”.
Nothing known abut the authors of “The Seafarer” , “The Wanderer”, and “The Wife’s Lament”. All three poems survive in the Exeter Book, a manuscript of Anglo-Saxon poems were produced around 950 A.D. The Exeter Book also contains religious verse nearly 100 riddles, and a heroic narrative.
The Seafarer is an Old English poem giving a first-person report of a man alone on the sea. The poem consits of 124 lines, followed by the word “Amen”. It is similar to The Wanderer in representing the lamet of an exile. Many scolars have described “The Seafarer” as a lone sailor’s lamentations concluding with belief in God. The others have identified the poem as a report of a wanderer, or his view of the world and search for God. Historian Tom Licence noted the influence of Irish missionaries in early Medieval England.
Summary 1
The Wanderer
The poem begins witn the Wanderer asking the Lord for understanding and mercy during his exile at sea. He cannot avoid going to sea because this life is his fate. The Wanderer remembers the hardships he has faced in his life. He argues that no matter how hard a man tries to keep his emotions, he can never avoid his fate.
The Wanderer retells his tale to his readers. He says that those who have seen exile will understand how cruel loneliness can be. He says that all things dissappear in time, leaving behind nothing but darkness.
In conclusion, the Wanderer advises all men to look to God for comfort because He is the one who is responsible for the fate of mankind.
Summary 2
The Seafarer
At the beginnig of the poem, the speaker describes the gloomy and lonely life of seafarer. He contrasts this with the easy life of land people, who always have food and wine.
Seasons change, and the seafarer’s tone changes from one of loneliness to adventure. He loves sailing, he enjoys his time there.
The Seafarer is the elderly man telling about his life spent sailing on the ocean. He describes the hardships of life on the sea, the beauty of nature, and his love of seafaring. The end of the poem consists of a long meditation on God.