ENGLISH LITERATURE

The literature of England is one of the highest achievements of a great nation. It should not, however, be read simply as a national expression. It is a body of significant statements about abiding human concerns. The language in which it is written has evolved over hundreds of years and is still changing. Several nations, including Canada, the United States, and Australia are indebted to England for a literary heritage.

Old English Literature

The beginnings of English literature appeared in the 7th or 8th century AD. After the Romans withdrew their troops from Britain in 410, there followed a long period of social unrest, war, and turbulence. The Britons were forced to defend themselves alone against Picts and Scots from Scotland. Then the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes came from the European continent. They plundered city after city. If these invaders left any literature, none of it has survived. By the middle of the 6th century the Britons had been pushed to the western borders of England, where they set up small tribal governments. When this society became established, English literature began.
In 597 Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to convert the British to Christianity. He established a Benedictine abbey at Canterbury as the seat of his diocese. This became the center of learning and scholarship of all Western Europe.
The Venerable Bede (673?-735), a monk, was the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar. His beautifully written 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People' is a monumental account of his times.
Another monk, Alcuin (735-804), was probably the most learned man in the Europe of his time. He was a liturgical reformer and was largely responsible for the revival of Latin scripts under Charlemagne. Alfred the Great (848?-899) made contributions to this already rich literature by writing in the native tongue and encouraging scholarly translations from Latin into Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
Alfred translated some Latin texts himself into the tongue of the West Saxons; and it was under him, probably, that the 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' was begun. This history of the chief events of each year is of prime importance to historians. Under Alfred, Bede's 'Ecclesiastical History' also was translated from the Latin, so that the people could study their past.

Old English Poetry

'Beowulf', the most notable example of the earliest English poetry, is an odd blend of Christianity and paganism. Old English, the language of 'Beowulf', is the source of modern English. Although Old English differed greatly from the language of today, much of the vigor and precision of modern English comes from the many Anglo-Saxon forms still used. The older language was a highly inflectional one; that is, it had many case endings for the nouns, pronouns, and adjectives and a complex system of verbs. It resembled modern German in grammar and in much of its vocabulary as well.
The story of 'Beowulf' takes place in lands other than England; but the customs and manners described were those of the Anglo-Saxon people. This epic poem describes their heroic past. It tells of Beowulf's three fierce fights--with the monster Grendel, the equally ferocious mother of Grendel, and the fiery dragon. By conquering them, Beowulf saves his people from destruction.
Only two Old English poets are known by name. Caedmon (7th century) was an unlearned cowherd. According to legend, he was inspired by a vision and miraculously acquired the gift of poetic song. Unfortunately, only nine lines by this first known poet survive. The second known poet was Cynewulf (8th century). Little is known of him except that he signed his poems in a kind of cypher, or anagram, made up of ancient figures called runes (an alphabet used by early Germanic tribes preceding the use of the Roman alphabet in England). His poems, such as 'Christ', deal with religious subjects.