Caedmon’s Hymn

- Was composed sometime between 658 and

680 A.D.
- The original poem is hardly recognizable
because it was written in Anglicized form of
ancient German.
- Probably accompanied with melody but has
long been lost.
- During his time, the foundations of English
poetry were being laid particularly in the area
of accentual meter and alliteration.
- Poetry was considered to have divine origin.
The hymn well-represents Old English poetry,
with its lines of four stresses and a medial
caesura, with its two or three alliterations per
line, with the stacking up of epithets (God is
guardian, measurer, lord, creator, master).
- An illiterate herdsman who was given the gift
of poetic composition.
- Considered to be the first English poet.
 Christianity
The purpose of Caedmon’s poetry is to invite
people to live a life of sinfulness to righteousness.