What are the first lines of Beowulf?
Beowulf’s first line: ‘Listen! we have heard of the might of the kings’ should in fact, says Dr Walkden, be read as ‘How we have heard of the might of the kings’.
What is the text about Beowulf?
Beowulf is the oldest surviving long poem written in Old English. Written between the 8th and 11th centuries by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, this poem survived in a single manuscript that was badly damaged in the 1731 Cotton Library fire.
How does the Beowulf poem begin?
Beowulf begins with a history of the great Danish King Scyld (whose funeral is described in the Prologue). He builds a lavish hall, called Heorot, to house his vast army, and when the hall is finished, the Danish warriors gather under its roof to celebrate.
How many lines are in Beowulf?
More than 3,000 lines long, Beowulf relates the exploits of its eponymous hero, and his successive battles with a monster named Grendel, with Grendel’s revengeful mother, and with a dragon which was guarding a hoard of treasure.
How do you read Beowulf?
Beowulf should be read with a pause between the second and forth beats. This literary device is called a “caesura.”
Is Beowulf a good read?
Beowulf is an amazing poem as it not only tells the classic tale of the epic hero and his journey, but contains hidden meanings aside from literal. This piece of literature is a traditional master piece and should be preserved as an example of how words and tales can evolve over decades.
What age should read Beowulf?
Book Information
| ISBN: | 9781406348873 |
|---|---|
| Pagination: | 160 pages |
| Suitable for: | 11+ readers, 7+ readers, 9+ readers |
| Genres: | Traditional Tales |
| Recommendations: | Reviewed by Children |
Which is the best English translation of Beowulf?
Of all English translations of Beowulf, that of Professor Garnett alone gives any adequate idea of the chief characteristics of this great Teutonic epic. The measure used in the present translation is believed to be as near a reproduction of the original as modern English affords.
What is the opening word of Beowulf poem?
The opening word of the poem Hwætis related to our modern word ‘what’ – translated as ‘Lo!’, ‘Behold!’, or ‘Hark!’. The storyteller uses it here to attract the audience’s attention. About a third of the words in Beowulf are words known as kennings.
Who is the narrator of the poem Beowulf?
The narrator opens the poem with a discussion of Shield Sheafson, a great king of the ancient Danes and the founder of their royal line. He began life as a foundling (an infant abandoned by his parents) but quickly rose to be strong and powerful.
How old was Beowulf when it was written?
It was written down in about 1000, but the poem may have been created by storytellers as early as the 700s. The language of Beowulf The opening word of the poem Hwætis related to our modern word ‘what’ – translated as ‘Lo!’, ‘Behold!’, or ‘Hark!’.