| "Maxims I" and "Maxims II" | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Unknown |
| Language | Old English |
| Date | Unknown |
| Manuscript(s) | Exeter Book ("Maxims I"), London, BL, Cotton Tiberius B.i. ("Maxims II") |
| Genre | Gnomic poetry |
| Verse form | Alliterative verse |
"Maxims I" (sometimes treated as three separate poems, "Maxims I, A, B and C") and "Maxims II" are pieces of Old English gnomic poetry. The poem "Maxims I" can be found in the Exeter Book and "Maxims II" is located in a lesser known manuscript, London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius B i. "Maxims I" and "Maxims II" are classified as wisdom poetry, being both influenced by wisdom literature, such as the Havamal of ancient Germanic literature. Although they are separate poems of diverse contents, they have been given a shared name because the themes throughout each of the poems are similar.