The epic poem Beowulf is an exciting adventure story about a warrior who kills ferocious monsters. The use of description and poetic language allows the story to come alive and for the reader to visualize the characters, and events. Alliteration, kennings, metaphors, and exaggeration are some of the main things that combine to allow this poem to be experienced like a story rather than like most other poetry.
Throughout Beowulf alliteration is often used. Alliteration is the repetition of the same first letter or sound in a group of words.(Junior Dictionary 19). Old English poetry has no stanzic form and no rhyme except by accident; it consists of lines that run together to form sentences. There is no set number of syllables per line. In Beowulf a normal line contains between eight and twelve syllables. (Jagular1). This helps give this story a more poetic sound. For example, alliteration can be seen in “Nor might the wise warrior set aside his woe.”
Throughout Beowulf alliteration is often used. Alliteration is the repetition of the same first letter or sound in a group of words.(Junior Dictionary 19). Old English poetry has no stanzic form and no rhyme except by accident; it consists of lines that run together to form sentences. There is no set number of syllables per line. In Beowulf a normal line contains between eight and twelve syllables. (Jagular1). This helps give this story a more poetic sound. For example, alliteration can be seen in “Nor might the wise warrior set aside his woe.”
Metaphors are used extensively throughout the story to allow the reader to visualize the surroundings and looks of certain things. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily means one thing is used of another thing in order to suggest likeness between the two.(Junior Dictionary 409). Metaphors are often used throughout this story in phrases called kennings. A kenning is a descriptive poetical expression used instead of a simple
Alliteration, metaphors, kennings, and exaggerations all help in developing a descriptive and imaginative scene to enter
Alliteration, metaphors, kennings, and exaggerations all help in developing a descriptive and imaginative scene to enter
The Beowulf manuscript was transcribed from an original by two scribes: Scribe A and Scribe B, the latter of who took over at line 1939. The handwriting of the two scribes is ill-matched. The script of Scribe B is archaic. Both scribes proofread their work down to even the minutest error. Scribe B slaved over the poem for many years 'with great reverence and care to restoration. Scribe A's revisions can be broken down into three categories "the removal of dittographic material; the restoration of material that was inadvertently omitted or was about to be omitted; and the conversion of legitimate, but contextually incorrect words to the contextually proper words. These three categories provide the most compelling evidence that the scribe was generally attentive to his work while he was copying, and that he later subjected his work to careful proofreading." The work of Scribe B bears a striking resemblance to the work of the first scribe of the Blickling homilies, and so much so that it is believed they derive from the same scriptorium.
An example of Beowulf poem:
Beowulf: I-V
I
Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,
leader beloved, and long he ruled
in fame with all folk, since his father had gone
away from the world, till awoke an heir,
haughty Healfdene, who held through life,
sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
Then, one after one, there woke to him,
to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:
Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;
and I heard that -- was -- 's queen,
the Heathoscylfing's helpmate dear.
To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,
such honor of combat, that all his kin
obeyed him gladly till great grew his band
of youthful comrades. It came in his mind
to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,
ia master mead-house, mightier far
than ever was seen by the sons of earth,
and within it, then, to old and young
he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,
save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,
for many a tribe this mid-earth round,
to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,
in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,
of halls the noblest: Heorot {1a} he named it
whose message had might in many a land.
Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,
treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,
high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting
of furious flame. {1b} Nor far was that day
when father and son-in-law stood in feud
for warfare and hatred that woke again. {1c}
With envy and anger an evil spirit
endured the dole in his dark abode,
that he heard each day the din of revel
high in the hall: there harps rang out,
clear song of the singer. He sang who knew {1d}
tales of the early time of man,
how the Almighty made the earth,
fairest fields enfolded by water,
set, triumphant, sun and moon
for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,
and braided bright the breast of earth
with limbs and leaves, made life for all
of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel
a winsome life, till one began
to fashion evils, that field of hell.
Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever {1e} mighty, in moorland living,
in fen and fastness; fief of the giants
the hapless wight a while had kept
since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud, {1f} and far was he driven,
for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men.
Of Cain awoke all that woful breed,
Etins {1g} and elves and evil-spirits,
as well as the giants that warred with God
weary while: but their wage was paid them!
Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,
leader beloved, and long he ruled
in fame with all folk, since his father had gone
away from the world, till awoke an heir,
haughty Healfdene, who held through life,
sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
Then, one after one, there woke to him,
to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:
Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;
and I heard that -- was -- 's queen,
the Heathoscylfing's helpmate dear.
To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,
such honor of combat, that all his kin
obeyed him gladly till great grew his band
of youthful comrades. It came in his mind
to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,
ia master mead-house, mightier far
than ever was seen by the sons of earth,
and within it, then, to old and young
he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,
save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,
for many a tribe this mid-earth round,
to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,
in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,
of halls the noblest: Heorot {1a} he named it
whose message had might in many a land.
Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,
treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,
high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting
of furious flame. {1b} Nor far was that day
when father and son-in-law stood in feud
for warfare and hatred that woke again. {1c}
With envy and anger an evil spirit
endured the dole in his dark abode,
that he heard each day the din of revel
high in the hall: there harps rang out,
clear song of the singer. He sang who knew {1d}
tales of the early time of man,
how the Almighty made the earth,
fairest fields enfolded by water,
set, triumphant, sun and moon
for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,
and braided bright the breast of earth
with limbs and leaves, made life for all
of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel
a winsome life, till one began
to fashion evils, that field of hell.
Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever {1e} mighty, in moorland living,
in fen and fastness; fief of the giants
the hapless wight a while had kept
since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud, {1f} and far was he driven,
for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men.
Of Cain awoke all that woful breed,
Etins {1g} and elves and evil-spirits,
as well as the giants that warred with God
weary while: but their wage was paid them!
films adaptations
· Beowulf El Guerrero: Christopher Lambert 1999
· El Guerrero Número 13 - 1999
· Beowulf (2007) by Robert Zemeckis
· Beowulf: Prince of the Geats (2007)
· Beowulf & Grendel (2005) by Gerard Butler
