Final answer:
Caedmon was granted the ability to compose songs and create poems (option a) , a skill he acquired through divine inspiration. This emphasizes the cultural value placed on the craft of poetry in medieval times as a divine gift, reflecting a tradition that continued into the eras of poets like Wheatley, Tennyson, and Johnson.
Step-by-step explanation:
Caedmon was granted the ability to compose songs and create poems. This is detailed in the story of Caedmon's miraculous gift, where he is transformed from an illiterate herdsman into a gifted poet by divine inspiration. In the context of the historical period, to be given such a talent was viewed as a gift from the divine, often attributed to the muses in classical tradition. Not only is his story an intriguing example of early English literature, but it also emphasizes the importance of poetry and artistry in the medieval culture which heralded the oral tradition and the craft of storytelling.
The story of Caedmon is from medieval history, specifically related to the Christian tradition of Old English times. It is not related to wealth, positions at court, traveling bards, or material provisions like parchment and ink, but rather to the spiritual and cultural realm of artistic creativity. It symbolizes the belief that poetic talent was not merely a skill to be learned but could also be a divine gift.
Referencing poets like Wheatley, Tennyson, and Johnson helps to understand the reverence and significance assigned to the craft of poetry throughout history, not just in Caedmon's story but also with other poets who valued their poetic vocation and pursued it with dedication, regardless of early criticisms or academic failures. As Ben Johnson and W. H. Auden expressed, poetry is a craft - a skilled creation that draws parallels to carpentry and weaving, highlighting its constructed and intricate nature.