Introduction
Christ is a long narrative poem by Cynewulf, a poet writing in Old English at the turn of the ninth century, about seventy years after the death of St Bede. In the following extract, he likens human life to the tossing of ships on stormy seas, and the Christian gospel as a chart to bring our ‘sea-steeds’ safely to heaven’s harbour.
NOW is it as though we fared in ships out upon the ocean, over the waters cold, and urged our barks, our sea-steeds, across the broad flood. A perilous stream it is, endless waves and wind-swept seas, on which we toss throughout this fleeting world, over the fathomless reaches. Hard was our life ere we sailed to land over the stormy main.
Then came our help: God’s Spirit-son guided us to the haven of safety, and gave us grace to see, over the vessel’s side, where with firm-set anchor we should moor our sea-steeds, those ocean-stallions old. O let us fix our hope in that holy haven above, which the Lord celestial prepared for us when He ascended into the heavens!*
* Compare the little verse that St Godric of Finchale (1070-1170), a man who had sailed many seas, used to sing to St Nicholas:
O SAINT Nicholas, God’s delight,
Build us a harbour, fair and bright;
Be at the crib, be at the bier,
To bring us, Nicholas, safely there!
See also Some Prayers of St Godric.
Précis
In ‘Christ’, a narrative poem dating back to around 800, Cynewulf likened human life to sailing on a treacherous sea. But following the revelation of the gospel of Christ, he said, the mariners now know how to find safe anchorage, and how to set a course for the harbour of everlasting life. (52 / 60 words)
In ‘Christ’, a narrative poem dating back to around 800, Cynewulf likened human life to sailing on a treacherous sea. But following the revelation of the gospel of Christ, he said, the mariners now know how to find safe anchorage, and how to set a course for the harbour of everlasting life.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, despite, not, otherwise, ought, unless, whether.
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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 Anchor. Fleet. Upon.
2 Firm. Hard. World.
3 Grace. Haven. Old.
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.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Hope. 2. Broad. 3. Wave. 4. Life. 5. Cold. 6. Safety. 7. World. 8. Side. 9. Land.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
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.
rms (8+1)
armies. arms. aromas. rams. rims. roams. rooms. rums.
reams.
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