Gradient elasticity has developed into an important area of continuum mechanics with numerous applications in engineering mechanics, structural analysis, experimental and computational mechanics. The present thesis is concerned with a simple model of explicit gradient elasticity. The aim is to provide a comprehensive insight into the basic properties of this model, by solving several problems in statics and dynamics. The problems include one - dimensional and two - dimensional (bending) loading conditions. Especially, use is made of a consistent Euler - Bernoulli beam theory and of different versions of Hamilton's principle. Moreover, a method is presented for determining the critical load in buckling problems. The investigations highlight, among others, the effect of non - classical boundary conditions and of non - classical material parameters.