Beowulf: A Dual-language EditionHowell D. Chickering The first major poem in English literature, "Beowulf" tells the story of the life and death of the legendary hero Beowolf in his three great battles with supernatural monsters. Beowulf is an example of the heroic spirit at its finest, the ideal Anglo-Saxon warrior-aristocrat. The epic poem celebrates both his magnificent courage in his battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the Dragon, and his leadership and loyalty in dealing with his fellow men. At the same time, the poem is a deeply felt elegy for the passing of such virtues and is permeated with a tragic sense of man's fate in an uncertain world. The complexity of the anonymous poet's vision and the power of his language make "Beowulf" a unique achievement in Old English. |
Contents
Guide to Reading Aloud | 4 |
Guide to Reading Aloud | 29 |
Textual Note | 41 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
æfter Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon art battle Beowulf Christian context Đã dær Danes Danish death dragon eall eorl eorla epic fela feud fight Finn Finnsburh Episode Frisians Geata Geatish Geatland Geats gold Grein Grendel Grendel's mother Grundtvig hæfde half-line hall Healfdene helm Hengest Heorot Heremod hero heroic Hildeburh hine Hnæf hoard Hrothgar Hrothulf Hygd Hygelac Ingeld Interlace Structure interweaving irony Kemble killed king kinsman leode Leyerle lord mæg Malone meaning metaphor monster næs narrative noble noun ofer Old English Onela Ongentheow Pæt passage poem poet's poetic poetry prep pret.-pres pron sceal Scyld Scyldinga sẽ secg Sigemund speech story strength Sutton Hoo swā sword swylce syððan thane theme Thorkelin trans translation treasure Unferth wæs warrior wearð Weohstan wið Wiglaf wolde words wordum wyrd þā þæm þæs þæt þæt hie þonne