The classic tale of monster-hunting, dragon-fighting Beowulf, here in its original Old EnglishMichael Alexander
An epic written in Old English, “Beowulf” is known for its haunting monsters, dream-like language, and paranoid perspective, where violent threats are always waiting on the fringes of society. The action follows Beowulf, a prince of Geats, who travels to aid a kingdom in freeing itself ...
The Old English epic poem Beowulf has an established reputation as a canonical text. And yet the original poem has remained inaccessible to all but experienced scholars of Old English. This book aims to present the poem to readers who want to know what makes it such a remarkable work of art...
Beowulf Beowulf (/ˈbeɪ.ɵwʊlf/; in Old English [ˈbeːo̯wʊlf] or [ˈbeːəwʊlf], literally "bee wolf" i.e. "bee hunter", a kenning for "bear")[1][2] is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long ...
The depth of the poem, in both its poetry and narration, is incredible, and in the original Old English the integration and weaving of meaning throughout the text is virtually unparalleled. ThoughBeowulfis an obvious masterpiece of English literature, its true importance in history is often unde...
that Beowulf, in addition to possessing historical and linguistic significance, is the most successful poem in Old English literature based upon its aesthetic qualities.] I have read enough, I think, to venture the opinion that Beowulfiana is, while rich in many departments, specially poor in ...
Beowulfis an epic poem written in Old English between the seventh and tenth centuries by an unknown author. It tells the story of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero, and his battles against three formidable foes: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Set in the sixth century, the poem provid...
Beowulfwas originally written in Old English also referred to as Anglo-Saxon. The poem was first transcribed--copied in the original language--in 1786 by Grímur Jonsson Thorkelin. The poem in its entirety was first translated into modern English in 1909 by Francis Barton Gummere. ...
In the original epic poem, why does Beowulf come back from defeating Grendel's mother carrying Grendel's head? It's an interesting question that has fired literary critics imaginations for a while, and when Robert Zemeckis set out to make his big screen adaptation of the poem, he went beyon...
Much has been written about this epic poem, and it will surely continue to inspire scholarly investigation and debate, both literary and historical. For decades students have undertaken the difficult task of learning Old English in order to read it in its original language. The poem has also in...