“ALAS, bright cup! Alas, mail-clad warrior! Alas, chieftain’s boast! How that day hath gone by, dark under night’s helm, as though it had never been!
“There, where once stood dear friends in the flower of manhood, now standeth a wall, wonderfully high, adorned with serpent shapes;* the earls were wasted by the hosts of ash-spears, weapons greedy for slaughter. Theirs was an honourable fate. And storms batter these sheer stones, icy blasts swirl about them; earth is fast bound in the tumult of winter. Then cometh the dark, the shadows of night deepen, calling lashing hail from the north in malice against brave men.
“All is hardship in this earthly realm; the decrees of destiny change the world beneath the heavens. Here wealth is but borrowed, here friend is borrowed, here man is borrowed, here kinsman is borrowed. All earth’s frame cometh to nought.”
Thus spake the wise man within his breast, as he sat apart in counsel.
Translated from the Old English
Presumably a wide and tall stone cross carved with the twisted shapes of their kind, and brightly coloured. A well-known survivor is the Middleton cross.
Précis
The poet continues his lament for a vanished community and way of life; his glance falls on a stone cross commemorating the dead, and (his mood affected by grey winter weather) is reminded that in this life nothing is possessed forever, neither buildings nor comrades, not even family; even the earth itself will one day vanish. (56 / 60 words)
The poet continues his lament for a vanished community and way of life; his glance falls on a stone cross commemorating the dead, and (his mood affected by grey winter weather) is reminded that in this life nothing is possessed forever, neither buildings nor comrades, not even family; even the earth itself will one day vanish.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, besides, despite, just, may, unless, whether.
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 Against. Dear. Dwell.
2 Already. Manhood. Time.
3 Dwelling. Feast. Gift.
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.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Heavenly. 2 Grave. 3 Apart. 4 Empty. 5 Low. 6 Proud. 7 Fast. 8 Dark. 9 Icy.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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