Fred C. Robinson is known throughout the world for some of the most original and stimulating work on Old English literature and language published in recent times. This book collects thirty seven of his essays and three substantial new articles, on the literary interpretation of Beowulf, the background and value of Ezra Pound's translation of The Seafarer, and an account of the use of Old English in twentieth-century literary composition.The essays range widely in terms of subject and approach. They include literary and textual interpretation and criticism of many of the best-known Old English poems including The Battle of Maldon and Exodus, an account of the historical, religious and cultural background to the writing of Beowulf, three articles on women in Old English literature and four on the significance of names and naming.The book is informed by the author's preoccupation with meaning, context and language and their subtle interactions. Its contents are characterized by readability and scholarship, and by learning and wit.