An icon of St Michael the Archangel, painted in 1775. When the ‘haughty king’ of the angels rebelled and was cast out of heaven, he left St Michael, ever loyal to his Maker, as the captain of the angels of light; indeed it was Michael who led them in battle. Surely no more glorious hosts can have ever met in war, nor any captains contended for so great a prize. In that First Battle, the hosts of Michael proved mightier: Lucifer was bound, the poet tells us, and thrust out of heaven’s Gate into the night of the Godless realm he had demanded. “He gave them their desire” as the Psalmist said of rebellious Israel: “and sent leanness withal into their soul”. See Psalm 106:15.
MAY we not then plan vengeance, pay Him back
With any hurt, since shorn by Him of light?
Now He hath set the bounds of a middle-earth*
Where after His own image He hath wrought
Man, by whom He will people once again
Heaven’s kingdom with pure souls. Therefore intent
Must be our thought that, if we ever may,
On Adam and his offspring we may wreak
Revenge, and, if we can devise a way,
Pervert His will. I trust no more the light
Which he thinks long to enjoy with angel-power.
Bliss we obtain no more, nor can attain
To weaken God’s strong will; but let us now
Turn from the race of man that heavenly realm
Which may no more be ours, contrive that they
Forfeit His favour, undo what His word
Ordained; then wroth of mind He from His grace
Will cast them, then shall they too seek this hell
And these grim depths. Then may we for ourselves
Have them in this strong durance, sons of men
For servants. Of the warfare let us now
Begin to take thought.
Abridged and slightly altered
From Genesis B, part of the Junius Manuscript and dating back to the first half of the 9th century. The passage is given as translated by Albert S. Cook in ‘Select Translations from Old English Prose’ (1902), but abridged, and with some minor emendations to improve readability. For the full text in prose, see ‘The Caedmon Poems: Translated into English Prose’ (1916) by Charles W. Kennedy.
* Translator Albert Cook used the phrase ‘mid-earth’ but most people today (thanks chiefly to Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien) will more readily respond to ‘middle-earth’. The term Midgard, in various forms, was used in the cosmology of the Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons to refer to that part of the universe set aside for the abode of Man; the Gothic translation of Luke 2:1 used midyungard to translate the Greek word οἰκουμένη (ikooméni), the inhabited world.
Questions for Critics
1. What are the authors aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the authors communicate their ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Though force be unavailing, there must (says Lucifer) be some way to rob God of his hopes for Man: the best he can think of is to induce Man into a rebellion of his own, so that God will in bitter wrath banish his creature to hell, and the fallen angels will have lordship and servants to command after all. (60 / 60 words)
Though force be unavailing, there must (says Lucifer) be some way to rob God of his hopes for Man: the best he can think of is to induce Man into a rebellion of his own, so that God will in bitter wrath banish his creature to hell, and the fallen angels will have lordship and servants to command after all.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, despite, if, or, since, unless, whereas, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Again. Middle. Winter.
2 After. Iron. Our.
3 Any. Gloom. Sorrow.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Set. 2 Hurt. 3 Man. 4 Mind. 5 Place. 6 Hand. 7 People. 8 Pay. 9 Host.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Depth.
2.
Hurt.
3.
Know.
4.
Lit.
5.
Man.
6.
More.
7.
Narrow.
8.
Once.
9.
Powerful.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding -less.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mt (12+3)
emit. mat. mate. meat. meet. met. mete. mite. moat. moot. mute. omit.
emeute. emote. mote.
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