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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the author of "The Wanderer" searching for in his elegy?

2. According to the author, what did Anglo-Saxons fail to do for their poetry?

3. Why does the author say that Alfred failed to put some laws into writing?

4. Wihtred was king over what people?

5. During what century did the first Anglo-Saxon settlers migrate to England?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way were the histories and legends passed down during the Anglo-Saxon period?

2. What did King Edwin say must be done before he would accept the Christian faith?

3. What two things is "The Battle of Maldon" concerned with in regard to theme?

4. To whom is Grendel related and why is this important?

5. Why does the author of the introduction to "The Elegies" state that "The Ruin" is "an antiquarian's delight"?

6. According to the author of the introduction to "Heroic Poems," what purpose do/did the heroic poems serve historically?

7. What is the main theme of the poem "The Wanderer"?

8. What were the two key relationships at the heart of Anglo-Saxon society?

9. Why was Hrothgar forced to close Heorot?

10. What must Beowulf do to kill Grendel's mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the Anglos were by trade seafarers. What did a typical seafarer face during their lives? What were the highlights of being a seafarer? What were the pitfalls of being a seafarer?

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think that riddles where important during the Anglo-Saxon period? What purpose did they serve? Why did they focus on the themes they did?

Essay Topic 3

What do you believe to be the most important section of the book? Why? What does its inclusion add to the text? What would its exclusion mean to the history of Anglo-Saxon literature?

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