c


  

Introducing the Epic

Literary Focus: The Epic Hero
The Poetry of c
Caesuras,
Alliteration, and Kennings
c

 c

Introducing the Epic

c
 is

M the first great work of

English national literature.

M the epic story of the hero

Beowulf, who fights the
demonic monster
Grendel.
 c

Introducing the Epic



c
 nephew of Higlac, king
of the Geats.


  king of the
Danes.
  a Geat warrior, one
of Beowulf¶s select band
and the only one to help
him in his final fight with
the dragon.
 c

Introducing the Epic




   man-eating monster
who lives at the bottom of a
foul mere, or mountain lake.

  

  water-witch
who seeks revenge.
 
 giant fire-breathing
serpent whom Beowulf fights
in Part Two of the epic.
 c

Introducing the Epic

  
c
 takes place in
  
Scandinavia.
c 

Scholars think Herot
might have been built
on the coast of
Zealand, in Denmark.
 c

Introducing the Epic

  


the golden guest
hall built by King
Hrothgar where
warriors gathered to
celebrate.

[End of Section]
 c

Literary Focus: The Epic Hero

The 
is the central

figure in a long narrative
that reflects the values and
heroic ideals of a particular
society.

An is a quest story on a

grand scale.
 c

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
 c

Literary Focus: The Epic Hero

In modern America, the hero may be a real person

or a fictional character.

[End of Section]
 c

The Poetry of c


c
was composed in which uses a

   or rhythmic pause, to create unity.

Locate the   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.

 c

The Poetry of c


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.

 c

The Poetry of c


The Anglo-Saxon oral poet also used the poetic

device of 




rendel ongan, odes yrre bær;

ynte se anscaða anna cynnes
 c

The Poetry of c





 the repetition of consonant sounds in
words close together.

And ith old oes new ail my dear

time¶s aste.

The emphasis on the  sound in this line from

Shakespeare¶s Sonnet 30 creates a melancholy
tone.
 c

The Poetry of c


Find examples of 


 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.
 c

The Poetry of c


Find examples of 


 in Burton Raffel¶s
translation of lines 1-5:

Out rom the arsh, rom the oot of isty

ills and !ogs, !earing od¶s atred,
rendel ame, hoping to "ill
Anyone e could
rap on this
rip to igh erot.
 c

The Poetry of c


The "  is another poetic device that was used

by the oral poet.

Examples of kennings from c



#  = Herot

  
  = Grendel


#
 "   = Beowulf
  #   "$#!
 
= dragon
 c

The Poetry of c


= a metaphorical phrase or compound word

used to name a person, place, thing, or event
indirectly.

A kenning enhances the literal meaning of the

words. A kenning gives the listener an idea of how
the words connect to an idea or concept that is
richer and more emotionally complex.
 c

The Poetry of c


Create modern-day "  for things you see

around you.

giver of words % %
word-wand

% %
[End of Section]
 c

Background

c
 is an oral
epic passed from
bard to bard.
Harpist-bards told
the familiar story
for audiences in the
communal halls at
night.
Written down Reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village in
West Stow, England, with communal hall
between 700 and on the left.
750
 c

Background






%
&
$
The poet who wrote c
 down
may have been a Northumbrian
monk.
  
M scenery described resembles
Northumbria (northeastern
England)
M Christian elements in epic
[End of Section]
ruickwrite
 c

ruickwrite

 " 
 '
 


Write about a 


$
 real or fictional, and the
challenges he or she faces. Describe your hero, and
then briefly analyze him or her using these questions:
MWhat sort of evil or oppression does your hero
confront?
MWhy does he or she confront evil? What¶s the
motivation?
MFor whom does your hero confront evil?
MWhat virtues does your hero represent?

[End of Section]
 ocabulary
 c

 ocabulary

  
 (
 ! $



)  determined.
   
$   violently
 !e )  unable to fail or be wrong
     rolled up.
  )  extravagant
   attack
*

    praised
 c

 ocabulary
  
 (
 ! $

$

resolute furled extolled assail

vehemently lavish infallible

++
furled
M is often used in reference to a flag?________
resolute
M describes someone who is stubborn?________
M describes how someone might argue about a subject he or
she feels strongly about?___________
vehemently
extolled
M is a synonym for   ? __________
infallible
M describes someone who cannot fail?_________
M describes someone who gives generous gifts?________
lavish
assail
M is another way of saying

"? ________
[End of Section]