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, just, may, must, ought, since, until, who.
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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 Come. Old. Urge.
2 Land. Reach. Which.
3 Hope. Let. We.
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.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Saw. 2. Firm. 3. Let. 4. Bark. 5. Fathom. 6. Fleet. 7. Set. 8. See.
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.
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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