Old English Verse: Eleven Poems:

Old English Verse: Eleven Poems contains translations of works from early Medieval England, commonly known as the Anglo-Saxon Period, alongside the original Old English text. The translator selected a wide variety of genres--- epics, laments, elegies, Christian verse--- and seeks to honor the dramatic timbre of the original language while also highlighting the story-telling skill of the poets. Using simplified, direct language, the translations endeavor to draw attention to the common characteristics and motifs encountered in Old English literature: a sense of awe regarding the land, sea, and the forces of nature; an intense melancholy, wistfulness, and belief in fate; adherence to a warrior ethic; and a nostalgia for an idealized past.