Beowulf
by Anonymous
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 8th-11th century
- Era
- Medieval
- Form
- Epic poetry
- Language
- Old English
- Length
- Short · 110 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendBeowulf, A New Verse Translation, translated by Seamus HeaneyW. W. Norton, 2001A poet's translation that keeps the alliterative pulse; the Old English faces the English on each page.
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The Geatish hero Beowulf sails to Denmark to rid King Hrothgar's hall Heorot of the monster Grendel, which has been killing his warriors at night for twelve years. He kills Grendel with his bare hands, then follows Grendel's mother to her lair beneath a lake and kills her too. Fifty years later, as king of the Geats, he faces a dragon roused by a stolen cup, kills it with the help of the young Wiglaf, and dies of its venom. The poem ends with his funeral pyre and a prophecy of his people's ruin.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Beowulf are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
