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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Read for AP Lit
Rating: 3.5/5
Pages: 213
Started: 12 September
Finished: 28 September
Summary:
This epic poem tells the tale of the renowned hero Beowulf as he travels overseas to fight the monster Grendel who has been terrorizing the Danish people, engages in combat with Grendel's vengeful mother, and makes his last stand against a dragon terrorizing his own Geat people. Scattered with allusions to other great heroes, Heaney's lyrical but accessible translation is a lovely way to be introduced to the original western literature.
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book. While some of the translations were overly sexist and a lot more simplified than some other translators' takes, I loved how this poem truly captured life in Beowulf's times. It was cool to sit at my desk, pen in hand, and be transported to a feudal medieval society in both culture and pacing. I especially liked the descriptions of blood and gore--I thought they were incredibly visceral for only taking up a few words. I'm excited to read Grendel soon, and be able to explore more about this story. In the mean time, I keep finding things today that remind me of Beowulf--from words to references is much more modern books, it's cool to be able to see just how much of an influence this epic has had on today's world.
English Assignment:
Ella Kirshbaum
Mrs. Housley
AP Lit Block 1
2 October 2022
Beowulf: Elevated in the Eyes of God
When the Beowulf poet describes Beowulf’s victory over the sea monsters during his swimming race, they emphasize the contrast between the monsters’ wretchedness and Beowulf’s blessedness to affirm the victor's position as the chosen one. After Beowulf has triumphed over the monsters, the poet describes their ruined corpses in unpleasant terms: “They slopped and floated like the ocean’s leavings” (567-588). “Leavings” suggests food scraps or refuse, and the tactile imagery of “slopping”—an onomatopoeia for something limp and dead—and “floating”—the possible state of something limp and dead—only adds to the overall sense of vileness. Through this simile, the poet projects the general distaste of such imagery onto the corpses of the monsters themselves. Considering how grand funeral rites for the worthy were an integral part of Old English culture, the poet uses the serpents’ ignominiously discarded carcasses to present them as unworthy of dignity even in death. By contrast, the poet’s portrayal of Beowulf seems even more favorable: “Light came from the east/ Bright guarantee of God and the waves were quiet” (569-570). Compared to the dangerous darkness that can harbor any evil, light is symbolic of goodness. And sunrise, which comes from the east, symbolizes purity and new beginnings. Thus, as light shines upon Beowulf immediately after he vanquishes the monsters, the poet stresses that the hero's victory has removed evil from the land and has returned it to a state of pure and righteous goodness. Dawn and sunlight also have a religious connotation, and the “guarantee of God” adds to this a sense of permanence: a guarantee is an absolute promise, and one from God implies a powerful blessing. The calming of the ocean only augments the theme of God's approval. In the Torah, Moses parts the Red Sea, and in the New Testament, Jesus walks on water. Through a description of a calmed ocean, the poet alludes to great prophets of scripture. Even from a more Pagan perspective, the ocean—a dangerous symbol of the wild power of nature—can only be calmed by someone of immense power: a Chosen One, favored by The Powers that Be. That the lifeless carcasses of the evil serpents vanquished by Beowulf are abandoned only further emphasizes the thane's glory and god-favor: without the funeral rites that could bring them veneration or immortality, the sea monsters, abandoned in death, serve as the perfect contrast to the hero's chosen standing. By presenting Beowulf as both a mighty warrior, capable of equalizing evil, and a blessed person of prophet-like status, the poet suggests that heroes of the same caliber as Beowulf—those who vanquish evil and bring worlds back to their righteous equilibrium— are held at an elevated status in the eyes of God.
Mrs. Housley
AP Lit Block 1
2 October 2022
Beowulf: Elevated in the Eyes of God
When the Beowulf poet describes Beowulf’s victory over the sea monsters during his swimming race, they emphasize the contrast between the monsters’ wretchedness and Beowulf’s blessedness to affirm the victor's position as the chosen one. After Beowulf has triumphed over the monsters, the poet describes their ruined corpses in unpleasant terms: “They slopped and floated like the ocean’s leavings” (567-588). “Leavings” suggests food scraps or refuse, and the tactile imagery of “slopping”—an onomatopoeia for something limp and dead—and “floating”—the possible state of something limp and dead—only adds to the overall sense of vileness. Through this simile, the poet projects the general distaste of such imagery onto the corpses of the monsters themselves. Considering how grand funeral rites for the worthy were an integral part of Old English culture, the poet uses the serpents’ ignominiously discarded carcasses to present them as unworthy of dignity even in death. By contrast, the poet’s portrayal of Beowulf seems even more favorable: “Light came from the east/ Bright guarantee of God and the waves were quiet” (569-570). Compared to the dangerous darkness that can harbor any evil, light is symbolic of goodness. And sunrise, which comes from the east, symbolizes purity and new beginnings. Thus, as light shines upon Beowulf immediately after he vanquishes the monsters, the poet stresses that the hero's victory has removed evil from the land and has returned it to a state of pure and righteous goodness. Dawn and sunlight also have a religious connotation, and the “guarantee of God” adds to this a sense of permanence: a guarantee is an absolute promise, and one from God implies a powerful blessing. The calming of the ocean only augments the theme of God's approval. In the Torah, Moses parts the Red Sea, and in the New Testament, Jesus walks on water. Through a description of a calmed ocean, the poet alludes to great prophets of scripture. Even from a more Pagan perspective, the ocean—a dangerous symbol of the wild power of nature—can only be calmed by someone of immense power: a Chosen One, favored by The Powers that Be. That the lifeless carcasses of the evil serpents vanquished by Beowulf are abandoned only further emphasizes the thane's glory and god-favor: without the funeral rites that could bring them veneration or immortality, the sea monsters, abandoned in death, serve as the perfect contrast to the hero's chosen standing. By presenting Beowulf as both a mighty warrior, capable of equalizing evil, and a blessed person of prophet-like status, the poet suggests that heroes of the same caliber as Beowulf—those who vanquish evil and bring worlds back to their righteous equilibrium— are held at an elevated status in the eyes of God.