Christian Poetry:-
3 major poets
(a) Caedmon:- A young shepherd who was not able to sing is able to sing and write after a dream. he is the first English Poet.
Poem - Caedmon's hymn : written in honour of God. He is called Anglo-Saxon Milton.
(b) Bede:-
Poem - Ecclesiastical History of the English People :
- talks about the early Anglo-Saxon England.
- history of development of Christianity in England.
- written in Latin and later it is translated to Old English by king Alfred.
Bede also talks about Caedmon.
(c) Cynewulf:-
- His works are Juliana, Elene, Fates of the Apstles.
- He is famous for his religious poetry.
- He was the first poet who signed his poems.
Dream of the Rood :- (Rood means Cross)
- It is a dream poetry.
- The poem is set up with the narrator having a dream. in this dream/vision he is speaking to the Cross on which Jesus was crucified.
- The poem is divided into 3 sections.
- The first section, talks about the vision of the cross.
- In the second section, the Cross shares its account if Jesus's death.
- In the third section, the author gives his reflection about the Cross.
King Alfred:-
- encouraged education.
- proposes the idea that education should be given in English rather than Latin.
- He started Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
- He translated several books from Latin to English.
- Anglo-Saxon chronicle was a yearly book which continued to be published for 300 years and those books he talks about the historical records of Anglo-Saxon history.
- He is also called Alfred the Great.
