From Beowulf Epic Poem By The Beowulf Poet Translated By .

The Anglo-Saxon EpicRL 3 Analyze the impact of theauthor’s choices regarding howto develop and relate elementsof a story. RL 4 Determine themeaning of words and phrases asthey are used in the text, includingfigurative meanings; analyze theimpact of specific word choiceson meaning and tone, includingwords with multiple meanings orlanguage that is particularly fresh,engaging, or beautiful. L 4a Usecontext as a clue to the meaningof a word. L 5a Interpret figuresof speech in context and analyzetheir role in the text. L 5b Analyzenuances in the meaning of wordswith similar denotations.did you know?The original Beowulfmanuscript . . . exists in only one copy. was damaged andnearly destroyed in a firein the 18th century. has now been preservedthrough digitization.from BeowulfEpic Poem by the Beowulf Poet Translated by Burton RaffelVIDEO TRAILERKEYWORD: HML12-40AMeet the AuthorThe Beowulf Poetabout 750?Old English bears little resemblance toModern English and so must be translatedfor readers today. By the time Beowulfwas written, the Anglo-Saxons had alsoconverted to Christianity. This Christianinfluence is evident in the poem.“Hear me!” So begins Beowulf, the oldestsurviving epic poem in English. Thecommand was intended to capture thelistening audience’s attention, for Beowulfwas originally chanted or sung aloud.Centuries of poet-singers, called scops(shIps), recited the adventures of Beowulf.It is our great fortune that eventually agifted poet unified the heroic accountsand produced an enduring work of art.By Anonymous Unfortunately, we don’tknow who that poet was or when Beowulfwas composed. Scholars contend that thepoet may have lived anytime between themiddle of the seventh century a.d. and theend of the tenth century. However, we doknow where the poem was written. In thefifth century, bloody warfare in northernEurope had driven many Germanicspeaking tribes, including groups ofAngles, Saxons, and Jutes, to abandontheir homes. Many of these groups settledin England, where they established what isnow called Anglo-Saxon civilization.The people of the Anglo-Saxon periodspoke a language known as Old English, thelanguage in which Beowulf was composed.Long Ago and Far Away AlthoughBeowulf was composed in England, thepoem describes events that take placein Scandinavia around the 500s amongtwo groups: the Danes of what is nowDenmark and the Geats (gCts) of what isnow Sweden. Beowulf is a Geat warriorwho crosses the sea to defeat Grendel, amonster who is terrorizing the Danes. Helater returns to his homeland to succeedhis uncle as king of the Geats.Beowulf celebrates warrior cultureand deeds requiring great strength andcourage. Scops recited the poem andother tales in mead halls, large woodenbuildings that provided a safe haven forwarriors returning from battle. Duringthe performances, audiences feasted anddrank mead, an alcoholic beverage.Survivor The sole surviving copy of Beowulfdates from about the year 1000. It is thework of Christian monks who preservedthe literature of the past by copyingmanuscripts. After suffering mistreatmentand several near-disasters, the Beowulfmanuscript is now safely housed in theBritish Library in London.Author OnlineGo to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML12-40B40NA L12PE-u01s11-brBeowul.indd4012/15/107:27:43 PM

text analysis: characteristics of an epicAn epic, a long narrative poem that traces the adventures ofa great hero, has the power to transport you to another timeand place. Beowulf takes you to the Anglo-Saxon period andthe land of the Danes and the Geats, where a mighty warriorbattles fantastic monsters. As you read the poem, note someof the following characteristics of epic poetry: The hero is a legendary figure who performs deeds requiringincredible courage and strength. The hero embodies character traits that reflect lofty ideals. The poet uses formal diction and a serious tone. The poem reflects timeless values and universal themes.reading strategy: reading old english poetryOld English poetry is marked by a strong rhythm that is easy tochant or sing. Here are some of the techniques used in an OldEnglish poem: alliteration, or the repetition of consonant sounds at thebeginning of words, which helps unify the linesWhere domonsterslurk?Unlike the monsters in Beowulf, thosein our world are not always easy toidentify. Evil can hide in the mostunexpected places: behind a smilingface, between the lines of a law, inotherwise noble-sounding words. Evenwhen evil is clearly exposed, people maydisagree on how to confront it.QUICKWRITE What does evil mean toyou? Write your own definition of theword, and provide some examples ofreal-life monsters.So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes caesura (sG-zhMrPE), or a pause dividing each line, with eachpart having two accented syllables to help maintain therhythm of the linesHe took what he wanted, // all the treasures kenning, a metaphorical compound word or phrasesubstituted for a noun or name, which enhances meaning—for example, “mankind’s enemy” used in place of “Grendel”As you read Beowulf, note examples of these techniques andconsider their effect on rhythm and meaning in the poem.vocabulary in contextThe words shown here help convey the monstrous forcesBeowulf faces in the epic. Choose a word from the list thathas the same definition as each numbered item.wordlist1. hsome2. burden3. notorious4. cramComplete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.beowulfNA L12PE-u01s11-brBeowul.indd414111/22/1011:59:41 AM

Hrothgar (hrôthPgärQ), king of the Danes, has built a wonderful mead hall calledHerot (hDrQEt), where his subjects congregate and make merry. As this selectionopens, a fierce and powerful monster named Grendel invades the mead hall,bringing death and destruction.grendel51042A powerful monster, living downIn the darkness, growled in pain, impatient aAs day after day the music rangLoud in that hall, the harp’s rejoicingCall and the poet’s clear songs, sungOf the ancient beginnings of us all, recallingThe Almighty making the earth, shapingThese beautiful plains marked off by oceans,Then proudly setting the sun and moonTo glow across the land and light it;The corners of the earth were made lovely with treesAnd leaves, made quick with life, with eachOf the nations who now move on its face. And thenAs now warriors sang of their pleasure:a OLD ENGLISH POETRYReread lines 1–2 aloud. Noticethe use of alliteration with therepetition of the letters p and d.What mood, or feeling, does thealliteration convey?Analyze VisualsExamine the composition, orarrangement of shapes, in thisphotograph. How does theangle of the photo contribute toits impact?unit 1: the anglo-saxon and medieval periodsNA L12PE-u01s11-Beowul.indd4211/22/1012:01:06 PM

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15202530354045505544So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hallTill the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend,Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wildMarshes, and made his home in a hellNot hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime,Conceived by a pair of those monsters bornOf Cain, murderous creatures banishedBy God, punished forever for the crimeOf Abel’s death. The Almighty droveThose demons out, and their exile was bitter,Shut away from men; they splitInto a thousand forms of evil—spiritsAnd fiends, goblins, monsters, giants,A brood forever opposing the Lord’sWill, and again and again defeated. bThen, when darkness had dropped, GrendelWent up to Herot, wondering what the warriorsWould do in that hall when their drinking was done.He found them sprawled in sleep, suspectingNothing, their dreams undisturbed. The monster’sThoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws:He slipped through the door and there in the silenceSnatched up thirty men, smashed themUnknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies,The blood dripping behind him, backTo his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter.At daybreak, with the sun’s first light, they sawHow well he had worked, and in that gray morningBroke their long feast with tears and lamentsFor the dead. Hrothgar, their lord, sat joylessIn Herot, a mighty prince mourningThe fate of his lost friends and companions,Knowing by its tracks that some demon had tornHis followers apart. He wept, fearingThe beginning might not be the end. And that night cGrendel came again, so setOn murder that no crime could ever be enough,No savage assault quench his lustFor evil. Then each warrior triedTo escape him, searched for rest in differentBeds, as far from Herot as they could find,Seeing how Grendel hunted when they slept.Distance was safety; the only survivorsWere those who fled him. Hate had triumphed.17 moors (mMrz): broad, openregions with patches of bog.19 spawned: given birth to.21 Cain: the eldest son of Adam andEve. According to the Bible (Genesis 4),he murdered his younger brother Abel.b EPICNote the description in lines23–29 of supernatural creaturesthat are “again and againdefeated.” What universaltheme might these linessuggest?lair (lâr) n. the den or restingplace of a wild animalcEPICWhat is the tone of lines 44–49?What words and details conveythis tone?unit 1: the anglo-saxon and medieval periodsNA L12PE-u01s11-Beowul.indd4411/22/1012:01:31 PM

6065707580859095100So Grendel ruled, fought with the righteous,One against many, and won; so HerotStood empty, and stayed deserted for years,Twelve winters of grief for Hrothgar, kingOf the Danes, sorrow heaped at his doorBy hell-forged hands. His misery leaped dThe seas, was told and sung in allMen’s ears: how Grendel’s hatred began,How the monster relished his savage warOn the Danes, keeping the bloody feudAlive, seeking no peace, offeringNo truce, accepting no settlement, no priceIn gold or land, and paying the livingFor one crime only with another. No oneWaited for reparation from his plundering claws:That shadow of death hunted in the darkness,Stalked Hrothgar’s warriors, oldAnd young, lying in waiting, hiddenIn mist, invisibly following them from the edgeOf the marsh, always there, unseen.So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes,Killing as often as he could, comingAlone, bloodthirsty and horrible. Though he livedIn Herot, when the night hid him, he neverDared to touch king Hrothgar’s gloriousThrone, protected by God—God,Whose love Grendel could not know. But Hrothgar’sHeart was bent. The best and most nobleOf his council debated remedies, satIn secret sessions, talking of terrorAnd wondering what the bravest of warriors could do.And sometimes they sacrificed to the old stone gods,Made heathen vows, hoping for Hell’sSupport, the Devil’s guidance in drivingTheir affliction off. That was their way,And the heathen’s only hope, HellAlways in their hearts, knowing neither GodNor His passing as He walks through our world, the LordOf Heaven and earth; their ears could not hearHis praise nor know His glory. Let themBeware, those who are thrust into danger,Clutched at by trouble, yet can carry no solaceIn their hearts, cannot hope to be better! HailTo those who will rise to God, drop offTheir dead bodies and seek our Father’s peace!d OLD ENGLISH POETRYWhat does the kenning “hellforged hands” in line 64 suggestabout Grendel?73 reparation: something done tomake amends for loss or suffering.In Germanic society, someone whokilled another person was generallyexpected to make a payment to thevictim’s family as a way of restoringpeace.84 The reference to God showsthe influence of Christianity on theBeowulf Poet.91 heathen (hCPthEn): pagan; nonChristian. Though the Beowulf Poetwas a Christian, he recognized thatthe characters in the poem livedbefore the Germanic tribes wereconverted to Christianity, when theystill worshiped “the old stone gods.”affliction (E-flGkPshEn) n. aforce that oppresses or causessufferingbeowulfNA L12PE-u01s11-Beowul.indd454511/22/1012:01:32 PM