There are a lot of attributes you could talk about when it comes to God, like morality, judgment, love, peace—and that's just for starters. But in "Caedmon's Hymn," Caedmon chooses to concentrate on God's physical and creative power, his might in designing and building things for "men's sons." This is reflected in the array of grand titles used to honor him, which use metaphors and kennings (see "Imagery" above) to reinforce the theme of God's strength and skill.
Questions About Strength and Skill
- Why do you think Caedmon emphasizes God's creative strength more than his other attributes?
- What sorts of things could "wonders" refer to?
- Is Caedmon's God a baller? How would you characterize the tone he uses to describe God's mad skillz? What parts of the poem support the science you're about to drop?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Earth first. Caedmon emphasizes God's protective and creative power by comparing him to earthly kings.
Caedmon emphasizes God's protective and creative power in a list of awe-filled titles, using both metaphor and kennings. Woah.