s of this age, we may emphasize: (1) the shorter
_scopic_ pieces, of which the _Far Traveler, The Wanderer, The
Seafarer, The Fortunes of Men_, and _The Battle of Brunanburh_ are
important examples; (2) _Beowulf_, the greatest Anglo-Saxon epic poem,
which describes the deeds of an unselfish hero, shows how the
ancestors of the English lived and died, and reveals the elemental
ideals of the race; (3) the _Caedmonian Cycle_ of scriptural
paraphrases, some of which have Miltonic qualities; and (4) the
_Cynewulf Cycle_, which has the most variety and lyrical excellence.
Both of these _Cycles_ show how the introduction of Christianity
affected poetry.

The subject matter of the poetry is principally war, the sea, and
religion. The martial spirit and love of the sea are typical of the
nation that has raised her flag in every clime. The chief qualities of
the poetry are earnestness, somberness, and strength, rather than
delicacy of touch, exuberance of imagination, or artistic adornment.

The golden period of prose coincides in large measure with Alfred's
reign, 871-901, and he is the greatest prose writer. His translations
of Latin works to serve as textbooks for his people contain excellent
additions by him. AElfric, a tenth century prose writer, has left a
collection of sermons, called _Homilies_, and an interesting
_Colloquium_, which throws strong lights on the social life of the
time. The _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_ is an important record of
contemporaneous events for the historian.

REFERENCES FOR FURTHER STUDY

HISTORICAL

In connection with the progress of literature, students should obtain
for themselves a general idea of contemporary historical events from
any of the following named works:--

Gardiner's_ Students' History of England_.

Green's _Short History of the English People_.

Walker's _Essentials in English History_.

Cheney's _A Short History of England_.

Lingard's _History of England_.

Traill's _Social England_, Vol. I.

Ramsay's _The Foundations of England_.

LITERARY

_Cambridge History of English Literature_, Vol. I.

Brooke's _History of Early English Literature to the Accession of King
Alfred_.

Morley's _English Writers_, Vols. I. and II.

Earle's _Anglo-Saxon Literature_.

Ten Brink's Early English Literature, Vol. I.

_The Exeter Book_, edited and translated, by Gollancz (Early English
Text Society).

Gurteen's _The Epic of the Fall of Man: A Comparative Study of
Caedmon,