<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Old English literature or Anglo - Saxon literature, encompasses literature written in Old English, in Anglo - Saxon England from the 7th century to the decades after the Norman Conquest of 1066 . "Cædmon's Hymn", composed in the 7th century, according to Bede, is often considered the oldest extant poem in English, whereas the later poem, The Grave is one of the final poems written in Old English, and presents a transitional text between Old and Middle English . The Peterborough Chronicle can also be considered a late - period text, continuing into the 12th century . </P> <P> The poem Beowulf, which often begins the traditional canon of English literature, is the most famous work of Old English literature . The Anglo - Saxon Chronicle has also proven significant for historical study, preserving a chronology of early English history . </P>

What was the first literature of the anglo-saxons