1. Beowulf Introducing the Epic Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
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Introducing the Epic
Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
The Poetry of Beowulf: Caesuras, Alliteration, and Kennings

2. Beowulf

3. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
Beowulf is
the first great work of
English national literature.
the epic story of the hero Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster Grendel.

4. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
People
Beowulf: nephew of Higlac, king of the Geats.
Hrothgar: king of the Danes.
Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band and the only one to help him in his final fight with the dragon.

5. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
Monsters
Grendel: man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake.
Grendel’s mother: water-witch who seeks revenge.
Dragon: giant fire-breathing serpent whom Beowulf fights in Part Two of the epic.

6. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
Places
Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia.
Scandinavia
Britain
Scholars think Herot might have been built on the coast of Zealand, in Denmark.

7. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
Places
Herot: the golden guest hall built by King Hrothgar where warriors gathered to celebrate.
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8. Beowulf Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
The epic hero is the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society.
An epic is a quest story on a grand scale.

9. Beowulf Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
Beowulf is one of ancient England’s heroes.
Other times and other cultures have had other heroes.
King Arthur
Joan of Arc

10. Beowulf Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
In modern America, the hero may be a real person or a fictional character.
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11. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses a caesura, or rhythmic pause, to create unity.
Locate the caesura in these lines:
ða com of more         under misthleoþum Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes sumne besyrwan         in sele þam hean.
Line divided into two parts by a caesura.

12. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
Here are the same lines in modern English from Burton Raffel’s translation:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.
Punctuation reproduces pause effect of the caesura.

13. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
The Anglo-Saxon oral poet also used the poetic device of alliteration.
Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes

14. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
Find examples of alliteration in Burton Raffel’s translation of lines 1-5:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

15. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
The kenning is another poetic device that was used by the oral poet.
Examples of kennings from Beowulf:
gold-shining hall= Herot
guardian of crime = Grendel
strong-hearted wakeful sleeper = Beowulf
cave-guard and sky-borne foe = dragon

16. Beowulf The Poetry of Beowulf
Create modern-day kennings for things you see around you.
giver of words
word-wand ? ?
Kitten: purr-full delight, mew-madness
Singer: siren of song, melody-muse
Racing car: road-shark, roar-racer
Airplane: soar-silver streak, sky’s arrow ? ?
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