Description

Book Synopsis
A collection of the finest and earliest poems composed in English, from tales of battle to love songs

This selection of the earliest poems in English comprises works from an age in which verse was not written down, but recited aloud and remembered. Heroic poems celebrate courage, loyalty and strength, in excerpts from Beowulf and in The Battle of Brunanburgh, depicting King Athelstan’s defeat of his northern enemies in 937 AD, while The Wanderer and The Seafarer reflect on exile, loss and destiny. The Gnomic Verses are proverbs on the natural order of life, and the Exeter Riddles are witty linguistic puzzles. Love elegies include emotional speeches from an abandoned wife and separated lovers, and devotional poems include a vision of Christ’s cross in The Dream of the Rood, and Caedmon’s Hymn, perhaps the oldest poem in English, speaking in praise of God.

For more than seventy years, Penguin h

Trade Review
Michael Alexander is much the best translator from Old English. His Penguin Beowulf is much to be recommended, but so too is the volume entitled The First Poems in English -- A.N. Wilson

The First Poems in English Penguin Classics

    Product form

    £11.69

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £12.99 – you save £1.30 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 29 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Michael Alexander

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The First Poems in English Penguin Classics by Michael Alexander

      Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 29/05/2008
      ISBN13: 9780140433784, 978-0140433784
      ISBN10: 0140433783
      Also in:
      Poetry

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A collection of the finest and earliest poems composed in English, from tales of battle to love songs

      This selection of the earliest poems in English comprises works from an age in which verse was not written down, but recited aloud and remembered. Heroic poems celebrate courage, loyalty and strength, in excerpts from Beowulf and in The Battle of Brunanburgh, depicting King Athelstan’s defeat of his northern enemies in 937 AD, while The Wanderer and The Seafarer reflect on exile, loss and destiny. The Gnomic Verses are proverbs on the natural order of life, and the Exeter Riddles are witty linguistic puzzles. Love elegies include emotional speeches from an abandoned wife and separated lovers, and devotional poems include a vision of Christ’s cross in The Dream of the Rood, and Caedmon’s Hymn, perhaps the oldest poem in English, speaking in praise of God.

      For more than seventy years, Penguin h

      Trade Review
      Michael Alexander is much the best translator from Old English. His Penguin Beowulf is much to be recommended, but so too is the volume entitled The First Poems in English -- A.N. Wilson

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account