The Literary Contributions Of King Alfred The Great
Beginning of paper
Our understanding of the literary achievements of King Alfred
depend very much upon what we believe about his early education. If we are
content to accept the stories of Asser, the famous biographer of Alfred,
that he reached his twelfth birthday before he learned to read (Keynes 75),
then we mus ....
Middle of paper
.... it most quickly.' Although he
could not read, Alfred was greatly attracted to the book and was determined
to own it. Forestalling his brothers, he took it to his teacher who read
it to him. He then went back to his mother and repeated the entire book
from memory to her (Fadiman 14, Keynes 75). This talent was the foundation
of Alfred's later reputation as a scholar, translator, and patron of
learning.
As Alfred's role as king and patron began, he solemnly noted on
several occasions his ....
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Word count: 1280
Page count: 5 (approximately 250 words per page)
