!ALFRED Alfred (849-99), also known as Alfred the Great, was king of king of Wessex who reigned during 871-899. He was a great soldier, strategist, scholar, educator and administrator. He is primarily known as savior of his people whose military resistance saved southwestern England from Viking occupation. He had a thirst for knowledge. His knowledge was not for personal use for him but was open for the use of the people. He was a great translator. In the process of learning, he translated some of the important books into his own tongue. His contribution in literature is considered great. His translation was sometimes word for word and sometimes sense for sense. However, when needed, he used to explain the things in his own way especially when he thought his word for word or sense for sense translation lacked something. His more important translation was The Pastoral Care of Pope Gregory, the history of the world of Orosius, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, Boethius consolation of philosophy and the Soliloquies of St Augustine. He also wrote a handbook or commonplace book. The Pastoral Care was his first translation and Soliloquies was his last translation. He was also a father of English prose .his language was simple and straightforward. In his last translation of the soliloquies, we can see the development of prose-style . Alfred was a favorite son of his father among all of his brothers. His fathers name was Ethelred. Alfred loved books. He become a king of wessex in 871 after his fathers death at the age of twenty. Alfred died in 899. Alfred was perhaps one of the most important English writers from early times to the Norman Conquest. The next phase in English literature begins after that which is popularly knows as the Norman Coquest to Geoffrey Chaucer. The first major writer of this period is perhaps ((Geoffrey of Monmouth)). The other writers in between were also important and they contibuted in their own way.