Anonymous (67)

I read this book mostly for the famous elegies "The Ruin," "The Wanderer," and "The Seafarer," the last of which was my favorite poem in high school. The imagery is perfect for autumn: grey skies, icy winds, and ruined cities, seen by those resigned to exile from the fires of home. While the poems about love and war were relatively dull, I found that some of the Exeter Riddles were almost as poetic as the elegies. I wonder if they inspired one of the most famous scenes in The Hobbit.

Inspiring but tragic

Reprint with minor corrections of the Methuen edition