Beowulf, By Seamus Heaney - 930 Words

Beowulf is an epic poem written 1000 to 1300 years ago in Old English and translated by Seamus Heaney into Modern English. Beowulf is a significant piece of literature art work not only because it is one of the earliest known works, but also because it reflects and represents the authors, the Anglo-Saxons’ culture and values. At first, this story was passed around orally, from one person to another. Then, later on, the Anglo-Saxons wrote the entire story down into a manuscript. As well as the Anglo-Saxons loved their stories, they loved to boast, too. Boasting wasn’t an arrogant thing to do in their society, instead, it was socially acceptable, or even essential in one’s life. The Anglo-Saxons loved telling stories and boasting; they also liked material things such as gold swords and silver shields. Those were the rewards a soldier receives from their king, which represents their qualities and achievements. Beowulf reveals the Anglo-Saxons’ values in ma ny parts of the poem. Stories appeared the most frequently in Beowulf. The first 64 lines of Beowulf is a story about the old king Shield Sheafson, â€Å"So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by / and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. / We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns. †(1-3), this already proves the importance of stories to the Anglo-Saxons. Stories were mostly what the Anglo-Saxons did for entertainment. People would gather around in a hall, with food and their drinks, and they would begin toShow MoreRelatedBeowulf, By Seamus Heaney1971 Words   |  8 Pagesform in many unique ways perceived by society. People hold many opinions on what a true hero is. However, our society is gifted with a clear representation on what qualities make a true hero in the epic poem Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney. Although there is no true author, fortunately Seamus Heaney’s translation gives a deeper analysis which allows the reader to better grip key concepts and ge t the closest possible to the actual translation. This epic poem dates back to around 700 to 1000 AD duringRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf By Seamus Heaney2116 Words   |  9 PagesBiography: Beowulf is an old story, that was composed somewhere between the middle of the seventh and tenth century, that used to be told orally in front of large groups of people, never being written down until much later when the original teller was long dead. Therefore the original author of Beowulf is unknown, however Seamus Heaney is one of the many to have translated it from old english into current english so many others can enjoy it as well. Seamus Heaney was born on April 13 in 1939. BornRead MoreReview Of Beowulf By Seamus Heaney2154 Words   |  9 PagesSydney Pritchard Mr. McMullan 10th Grade Honors English 13 July 2015 Book Report Title: Beowulf Author: Seamus Heaney Date of Publication: 2000 Historical Context: Genre: epic heroic poem Plot: During the Dark Ages of Europe, in the late 5th century, powerful Scandinavian empires emerged. One of those, the Danish empire, prospered under its ruler, Hrothgar, a decendent of the great Shield Sheafson. To commemorate his warriors for helping him build his empire, Hrothgar built a great mead hall, a placeRead MoreBeowulf a Poem Translated by Seamus Heaney Essay1072 Words   |  5 PagesIn the poem, Beowulf, by an unknown poet, as translated by Seamus Heaney, we see many monstrous behaviors. A few of the examples stand out more than the rest: wanton destruction, a woman acting as a man, and the act of killing one’s kin. Wanton destruction goes against the ideals that governed the Anglo-Saxon culture. The warrior kings had duties to uphold. We see that they revered kings who would bring protection and give freely to the young and old and not cause harm. One good illustration ofRead MoreBeowulf And The Anglo Saxon Period1740 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf The original poem, Beowulf, goes back to the Anglo-Saxon period in c. 650 and c.1100. Authors translated Beowulf many times in the Anglo-Saxon period to present day. It displays how a hero should be in the real world. He helps the people in the village and slays monsters. Everyone in the village looks up to him as he acts as if he were a role model. Beowulf, the protagonist in the translated Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, is a hero of his village, stands for bravery, strong will, and noblenessRead MoreValue Of Loyalty In Beowulf949 Words   |  4 PagesIn this thrilling poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf shows characteristics of a noble warrior who takes on different journeys against monsters to be crowned as the undisputed warrior and bring home prestige for his fellow clan members. Beowulf first task on his path to gain glory is to defeat the merciless monster Grendel, who haunts Heorot for twelve long winters. If he wins this battle, he does not only gain glory and respect for himself, but also for his king and clan. He exhibits all theRead MoreTheme Of Loyalty In Beowulf813 Words   |  4 Pagesthemes that emerge throughout the poem ‘Beowulf by Seamus Heaney’. With a focus on an extract in Beowulf, this essay will explore how Seamus Heaney shows the themes loyalty and courage through the use of diction and imagery. In this extract, Beowulf is seen battling the dragon with his companions, however, Beowulf’s companions all leave except for Wiglaf. Wiglaf expresses his loyalty and dedication towards Beowulf through a speech and bravely helps Beowulf. Beowulf then uses his sword to try and killRead MoreTheme Of Heroism In Beowulf1544 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf demonstrates the qualities and traits of being an ideal hero. In the poem it explores Beowulf ‘s heroism in two distinct stages which are youth and age. Beowulf has three separate and very difficult conflicts that involve Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon. When you are viewing these major encounters with the three different people Beowulf demonstrates the importance of heroic code. There is a much clearer division between Beowulf’s adolescent heroism as a warrior as well as in onesRead MoreCultural Progression through Beowulf Essay examples569 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf is an Old English poem. It was wr itten sometime between 700 and 1,000 A.D. Over the years it has been edited and rewritten countless times. Some of the more recent versions do their best to stay as close to the original story as possible while others make rather large changes to make it more engaging for today’s audiences Seamus Heaney translated a version of Beowulf in 2001. He tried hard to translate the story in a way that best represents the original. Heaney’s version is bilingual withRead MoreLanguage in Beowulf Essay767 Words   |  4 Pagesancient but timeles epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf was written in Old English by an unknown author between the centuries of 800 AD and 1000 AD. Year after year, a new translation is made by an author. Each translation is completely different, yet still the same poem. It is tedious for authors to make their translation literal to the original epic, while simultaneously making it understandable, modern, and readable. Many have tried to accomplish this, but personally I find that Seamus Heaney’s translation of