Skyrim melee combat for dummies?

[Megiddo]

As the subject suggests, I'm having a bit of difficulty with melee combat in Skyrim.

The problems start almost as soon as combat begins. An enemy approaches and I swing my weapon as he draws close. However, it doesn't matter what type of weapon I have equiped or what type of weapons they have equiped, they stay just out of range of my attacks, yet they can hit me easily.

So I close in even further, almost inside of the mobs now, and then the real fun starts. Once I'm finally able to land a blow, they typically start sprinting circles around me. They have no difficulty hitting me with every swing as they run circles around me. On the offchance that I'm fast enough to land a blow, they jump back out my range again and the cycle continues.

Adding to the frustration, the camera changes views every time they land a power attack. Well, to be clearer, it changes to third person each time. I suppose I could try get used to playing in third person, but I specifically asked here before purchasing and was told that it is first person friendly.

I've started out playing on the hardest difficulty setting, but I quickly found out that I'd have to dumb it down considerably. Just in the tutorial, the first two guards/stormcloaks that attack would drop me in two or three hits, where my power attacks wouldn't shave 10% off of them. The difficulty settings don't appear to do much, though, other than alter mob health. Unless I'm missing something, there is no autotarget, for example, on easier settings.

Any help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Brassqund]

The camera is not suppose to change in the third person when you do a power
attack (if you are at first). Also, you are not a good idea to attack
guard at low level...

Personally, I really like to use one hand weapon and a shield.
At the start of the combat, if I see the enemy is about to attack,
I parry or give him a shield hit (it is a really fast attack).
That use some stamina but his attack is stop. Well, actually,
even if I am first, I normally start with a shield bash :p

I don't use a lot the power attack. They are slow and make
you vulnerable. The only moment I use them is
when the enemy is in "blocking" position: if you do a power
attack when he is blocking, he will be knockback a little
and you will be able to hit him multiple time.

I use basic attack, parry and shield bash...
When the shield bash work, the enemy's attack stop for a moment
and you can give him multiple hit when HE can do anything.
This is really useful if the enemy is doing a power attack.

For two handed, parrying make you take more damage
(specially with a low block skill) so it is best to try to avoid
the attack by staying at distance ... enough to make you able
to move out of range when they attack, but close enough
to make you able to atttack them. A good strategy is to dodge
their attack until they block and then doing a power attack...
or wait until THEY do a power attack, do a block bash (or dodge)
and hit them when they are unbalance.

Move and try to not being surrounded... and if you had it unlock,
don't hesitate to use the first shout. He is quickly use/recharged
and knock back the enemis enough to make you able to hit him a
lot. Don't be impatient, specially at high difficulty...

Potions and poisons can be useful... keep some on you. (don't
hesitate to steal/craft them)

Don't hesitate to run to use the healing spell...
at low level, it is really useful even for a warrior.

Stealth and doing a "sneak attack" with a bow and then
change to a melee weapon is also a good strategy.
If they are far enough (or you had a stealth high enough)
you will be able to hit them multiple time before them came
at range. Just... don't take any change and change weapon
when they starting to be close.

English is not my first language so my explications are pretty basic...
but well... good luck.