BeowulfSometime between the year 700 and the year 900, Beowulf was composed. This poem belongs to a long tradition of epic poetry, and like its predecessors it is a narrative poem that operates on a grand scale and focuses on the deeds of warriors and heroes. Beowulf, a warrior prince from Gaetland in Sweden, goes to Denmark to fight a terrible monster and the story only grows from there. It is a fantastic tale built around three important battles involving brave heroes and dangerous, unpredictable monsters that threaten the security of the society. A common pattern in literature is one which sets the desire for order against the inevitability of disorder. We will discuss how this pattern manifests itself in different ways at different times as we move through English literature this year. As we get started, watch for this conflict in Beowulf.
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Essential Questions
Types of Poetry Beowulf Introduction Animoto Beowulf Reading Questions Beowulf Discussion Guide What the English of Shakespeare, Beowulf, and King Arthur Actually Sounded Like Kennings Group Activity Literary Criticism Debate Graphic Novel Activity Creative Writing Activity Beowulf Graphic Novel J.R.R. Tolkien on Beowulf Full translation by Seamus Heaney |