It will be observed that the language is abruptly and rudely phrased. The half-lines very frequently consist of mere tags or, as they are called, _kennings_. Such conventional phrases were the stock-in-trade of the gleemen, and they were employed to keep the narrative in some kind of motion while the invention of the minstrel flagged. At least half of the lines in the extract are kennings--_beorhtū byrnū_, _hláf-ord leófne_, _higū un-róte_, and so on. Such phrases occur again and again in Old English poetry. It will also be observed that the lines are strongly rhythmical, but not metrical; and that there is a system of alliteration, consisting as a rule of two alliterated sounds in the first half-line and one in the second half-line. With regard to the general narrative style of the poem, there is much primitive vigor in the fighting, sailing, and feasting; a deep appreciation of the terrors of the sea and of other elemental forces; and a fair amount of rather tedious repetition and digression. _Beowulf_, in short, may be justly regarded as the expression of a hardy, primitive, seafaring folk, reflecting their limitations as well as their virtues. OTHER POETRY =1. The Pagan Poems.= The bulk of Old English poetry is of a religious cast, but a few pieces are distinctly secular. (_a_) =Widsith= (_i.e._, “the far traveler”) is usually considered to be the oldest poem in the language. It consists of more than a hundred lines of verse, in which a traveler, real or imaginary, recounts the places and persons he has visited. Since he mentions several historical personages, the poem is of much interest, but as pure poetry it has little merit. (_b_) =Waldhere= (or _Walter_) consists of two fragments, sixty-eight lines in all, giving some of the exploits of a famous Burgundian hero. There is much real vigor in the poem, which ranks high among its fellows. (_c_) =The Fight at Finnesburgh=, a fragment of fifty lines, contains a finely told description of the fighting at Finnesburgh. (_d_) =The Battle of Brunanburgh= is a spirited piece on this famous fight, which took place in 937. The poem has much more spirit and originality than usual, contains some fine descriptions, and forces the narrative along at a comparatively fast pace. (_e_) =The Battle of Maldon= is a fragment, but of uncommon freshness and vivacity. The battle occurred in 993, and the poem seems to be contemporary with the event. =2. The Dramatic Monologues.= These poems, which are called _The Wanderer_, _The Seafarer_, _Deor’s Complaint_, _The Wife’s Complaint_, _The Husband’s Message_, and _Wulf and Eadwacer_, appear in the Exeter Book. It is unlikely that they were composed at the same time, but they are alike in a curious meditative pathos. In Old English literature they come nearest to the lyric. As poetry, they possess the merit of being both original and personal, qualities not common in the poems of the period.