Old English Poetry: Heroic Epics, Religious Verse, and Lyrical Elegies

Heroic Poetry in Old English

Widsith (7th-8th Century)

Widsith recounts his travels throughout the Germanic world, mentioning the many rulers he visited. While primitive in style, this very quality makes Widsith particularly interesting.

Beowulf (8th Century)

As the only complete epic of its kind in an ancient Germanic language, Beowulf vividly illustrates the combination of heroic idealism and the darker, more violent aspects typical of the Germanic temperament.

Deor's Lament (8th Century)

It recounts the lament of a minstrel who, after many years of service to his lord, has been replaced by a rival named Heorenda.

The Finnesburg Fragment

This fragment depicts the joy found in physical combat under a heroic code. There is also an effective use of direct speech and rapid descriptions.

Waldere

Consisting of two parts, each approximately 30 lines long, its primary interest lies in offering evidence of the popularity of continental Germanic heroes among the Anglo-Saxons.

Religious Poetry in Old English

Cædmon's Hymn

Cædmon, a shepherd near the Abbey of Whitby, was one day granted the gift of song and began to sing praises to God. This event, around 688 CE, marks the beginning of religious poetry in Old English.

Genesis A and B

• Genesis A includes:
  • A shorter preliminary part detailing Satan's rebellion against God, God's anger, the expulsion of Satan and his supporters, and God's reestablishment of order.
  • The main body of the poem, narrating the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis.
• Genesis B is an interpolation focusing on Adam and Eve and their fall from grace.

Exodus

Moses is depicted as a heroic figure leading his people to freedom. This poem dates from the early 8th century.

The Dream of the Rood

The title reflects the poem's presentation as a vision. The poet recounts a vision of the Cross, which then speaks. In this speech, Christ is portrayed as a warrior, and those around him are his loyal followers.

The Phoenix

It describes a paradisiacal land in the East, the beauty of the mythical phoenix, and its symbolic cycle of flight, death, and rebirth.

Old English Lyrical Elegies

The Wanderer

This poem recounts the laments of a solitary man who was once content serving a lord. After his lord's death, his happiness and companionship vanish, leading him to become a wanderer. The poem concludes with a moralistic reflection on the importance of virtue. It stands as an impressive lament for lost joys.

The Seafarer

Sharing the melancholic tone and sense of regret found in The Wanderer, this poem focuses on an old sailor who recalls the solitude of sea life while simultaneously acknowledging its profound fascination. Like The Wanderer, it concludes with a conventional religious sentiment. The exact dating of both poems remains uncertain, though they are generally attributed to the 8th century.