Literary Piece: "Caedmon's Hymn" by Caedmon

Now we ought to praise the Guardian of the heavenly kingdom,

The might of the Creator and his conception,
The work of the glorious Father, as he of each of the wonders,
The Eternal Lord established the beginning.
He first created for the sons of men
Heaven as a roof, holy Creator;
Then the middle-earth, the Guardian of mankind,
The eternal Lord, afterwards made
The earth for men, the Lord almighty.

Symbols:

● Guardian
1. A person who looks after or guards a certain object or property
2. A person who is responsible for taking care of someone who is unable to
manage their own affairs
● Might
1. The power or authority wielded by a person or a group.
2. Used to express the possibility of an event occurring in the past.
● Conception
1. The process of becoming pregnant.
2. The formation of an idea or plan.
● Work
1. An activity that involves physical and mental effort in order to achieve an
intended result.
2. A task that someone has to do.
● Wonder
1. A feeling of surprise and admiration that is caused by something beautiful.
2. The desire to know something.

● Creator
1. A person or thing that brings something into existence.
2. Used as a name for God.
● Holy
1. Dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.
2. Used in exclamations of surprise or dismay.
● Almighty
1. Having complete power; omnipotent.
2. A name or title for God.
3. Very great; enormous.
 ● Son
1. A boy or man that is related to his parents.
2. The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, in Christian belief.

Paradox:

In the poem of Caedmon entitled “Caedmon’s Hymn” lies the two phrases, which are “we
ought to praise the Guardian” and “the might of the Creator”. The first phrase implies that when
one guards a certain thing, object, or person, we ought to praise it while the second phrase tells
us that if one brings something into existence and creates something, it is mighty.

The poem “Caedmon’s Hymn” also gives utterances about “the Guardian of the heavenly
kingdom” and “the Creator and his conception”. Seemingly, a Guardian, which is defined as a
person who looks after or guards a certain object, thing, or property, would guard the heavenly
kingdom as per the poem. On the other hand, a Creator - which is defined as someone or
something that brings something into existence, would create and conceive a certain thing. In
the case of Caedmon’s poem, the Creator is God and the one conceived would be the Earth
and its people.

In this poem specifically on the third line, it was written there “the work of the glorious
Father” which contradicts “as he of each of the wonders”. The word ‘glorious’ in the first phrase
means worthy of or bringing fame or admiration which contradicts the word ‘wonders’ means
that it is a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration. The two words contradict because the first
word shows what is the meaning of deserving meanwhile the second word shows that it is more
into revelation.

Another paradox that can be found in Caedmon’s Hymn that is contradicting is ‘He first
created for the sons of men’ in this phrase it refers to humanity in general. However, he could
simplify it to people or men alone. The next paradox is the ‘eternal Lord, afterward made the
earth for men’ with the phrase earth for men means that it is who is native or inhabitant of the
planet earth.

Tension:

“we ought to praise the Guardian”

“the might of the Creator”
Tensions: The words PRAISE and MIGHT

“the Guardian of the heavenly kingdom”

“the Creator and his conception”
Tensions: The words GUARDIAN and CREATOR

“the work of the glorious Father”

 “as he of each of the wonders”
Tensions: The words GLORIOUS and WONDERS

“He first created for the sons of men”

“the eternal Lord, afterwards made the earth for men”
Tensions: The words SONS and EARTH

Pattern:

The being that we should always obey is God, our heavenly father, simply because he is
the one that created all of these wonderful things for all of us.