What are your general impressions of Beowulf -- either the Old English reading or Heaney's translation?
What are your thoughts as you pick up one of the oldest surviving stories in the English language?
What associations, ideas, feelings, and initial patterns and stylistics does the text offer?
What predictions or questions do you have?
Unfortunately, I think a lot of the meaning and symbolism was lost in the translation of Beowulf. However, I believe this story is interesting, and completely different than what I expected it to be. When you flip through the pages of Beowulf, novel fans that are not yet partial to the stanza style would groan and, unless forced to read it, probably put the classic down. I expected a vague poem that required tedious analyzing. Instead, I was fascinated by the epic. I find it essential to note, that I would much rather be told the story, grasping all of its characteristics that make the poem so interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe story behind how Beowulf was saved is also appealing, and I find sort of symbolic. The king who took it upon himself to protect a work is similar to how Beowulf volunteered to fight Grendel unarmored. Both acts are completely selfless, and are done to help people, instead of accomplishing a task.
I think the associations with God are random, and have little to do with the overall meaning of Beowulf. Based on what Mr. Bowyer said in class, I think Beowulf will slay Grendel, but not live to return to Geatland. This is tragic, but it does allow Beowulf to take on human qualities other than the God-like form other epics use.
My general impression of the Old English reading of Beowulf is that the Old English text is much better when read aloud than when read visually. When read visually, the Old English poetic metre (which uses contrasts in consonance and cacophonic sounds) appears disjointed and unappealing. However, when read aloud, these same words which were visually appalling, are able to convey an auditory sense of powerful and authoritative meaning. Yet even though I am currently reading and listening to one of the oldest surviving stories in the English language, it still feels quite foreign to me. Occasionally when I’m reading the translation, I’ll glance over to the Old English version of the text and realize that the only words I can recognize are the proper nouns. In this sense, the text feels much more like an ancient Norse work than an Old English one. This sense is magnified by Beowulf’s ideas, feelings, associations, and initial patterns and stylistics which, except for the references to Christianity, all too seem to characterize more of what I would expect from an ancient Norse myth than from an Old English heroic. As for my predictions and questions, I predict that Beowulf will eventually become, in his age, a king very similar to Hrothgar, and I wonder as to how he will actually defeat the dragon.
ReplyDeleteWhen first hearing about Beowulf I expected it to be dense and difficult to read, instead I find it easy enough to read and understand. On the surface Beowulf could be told as a story of a hero helping avenge a land with a horrible demon attacking it. However, when analyzing the text people can find allusions to God, and themes that go beyond just a heroic story. It is weird to think that out of all the books to be saved from the burning fire, Beowulf was one of them. I am lead to think that the person that saved it must have found deep meaning in it, and then wanted to show that to the world. Another thing that is hard to picture is what was lost from the book. I am always looking for parts of the story that don't exactly fit, or where the flow is off, but so far the text flows smoothly. The dialogue is fun to read because it's long and action-packed with many flowery words. I've also seen quiet a few tropes used in the text! Eventually Heorot is burned down, and it is done by people. So the eventual downfall is not monsters destroying it, but the people destroying it. After Beowulf defeated Grendel's mother I thought of how he has defeated every monster and maybe he, too, will see his downfall with people instead.
ReplyDeleteI knew little about Beowulf before this class and like most teenage boys with high testosterone levels, I prepared for an epic with swords and monsters and blood and whatever else. While in its most simple form, Beowulf is this epic, it is not as impressive in this regard as I had predicted. That is not to say it has been disappointing though. First, I was provided with my adrenaline shot when Beowulf announced he was going to fight Grendel, the monster who was terrorizing the most powerful nation around, without weapons. But that's really not of great significance, it is just fun to discuss outside the realm of literary analysis. The principle reason Beowulf has not disappointed me is because it contains several overlapping themes and I'm sure will provide with a greater insight on life once I finish it, as any good work should. The most surprising thing I have encountered is the prevalence of Christianity.For example, Beowulf is said to have defeated Grendel with the strength of God behind him. I look forward to discovering the poet's message on the relationship between God and humans and how that related to a great hero like Beowulf.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading Beowulf I must say that the style of the piece and the interlaced stories of explanation at times made the reading a little less splendid than I would have enjoyed. However, I was intrigued by the subtle comparisons between man and the monsters that attack them. The story at a fist glance appears to have an obvious conflict of man vs monster, but the side stories within, such as the tale of the cruel Queen of the Dances, and the fact that Heorot is ultimately destroyed by man shows that these monsters are not truly the enemy: man is man's enemy. Throughout the epic this notion is made by the way that war sheds so many more lives than the monsters in this story, and is further evidenced by the way that Beowulf sends Grendel running in terror in the halls of Heorot, and the way he is placed in a burial mound at his death to hold a portion of the dragon-treasure, and guard his own monstrous mound. Clearly there is much more to the story of Beowulf than what first meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued to pick up an artifact of old English and I was excited to see the literary devices this ancient poet would use. I wondered if they were similar to the ones we use today. It is incredible that a story written so long ago can still be read today for enjoyment, and people can actually connect to the story because it is similar to the stories we grew up reading as kids. But, upon opening Beowulf I found the structure to be similar to Shakespeare's since they are both written in verse. This was an immediate turn off, because I do not particularly enjoy picking apart Shakespearian language to find the actual meaning of his work. Although, as i started reading I found that the translator had already done most of that work. The poem was easy to understand and the sequence of events was clear. I even recognized the author's use of a flashback about King Shielding in the start of the book. This is something I found interesting because authors use this same technique quite frequently today.
ReplyDeleteMy initial hesitation about Beowulf stemmed from the fact that it is such an ancient text. However, once I began reading the epic, I was happily surprised at how relatively easy the text was to comprehend. One thing I found particularly interesting was how easy it was to connect to the text and to find the truths that are revealed about the world we live in today even though the author of this text wrote this epic a thousand years ago. For example, Hrothgar's warnings to Beowulf about not letting his pride overcome him and make him oblivious to life because ultimately, death will come to all of us has profound meaning and truth behind it even today. One main idea I extrapolated from the text was the idea that mankind will eventually face their doom because of their own fallacies. This was seen through the ancient race that buried the treasure hoard with the dragon before being wiped out by war and this was seen through the end of Heorot due to the feuding between in-laws. If this is true though, then I wonder what role Beowulf is supposed to play in this epic and what he is supposed to symbolize. I believe he would symbolize lost hope if this theme of the eventual demise of mankind holds to be true of this text and if he does symbolize lost hope, then what the author is really saying about life is much more profound than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard that Beowulf was an epic poem, I'll admit I thought it was going to have difficult language and dialog, though I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was much less complicated than I thought. The structure of the text was interesting, especially when compared to that of the Old English. But to me, this piece of literature doesn't seem like it was written a thousand years ago with all of its modern concepts and themes. For example, it highlights the contrasts between youth and age that seems like people wouldn't really question hundreds of years ago. Or what I find even more interesting than that is the concept that we all face our own deaths based on our wrongdoings. Beowulf had chosen to fight the dragon though he knew he wasn't as nimble as he was when he killed Grendel and his mom, therefore knowing he vedy well wouldn't make it out alive. One question I do still have even after finishing the epic poem is why doesn't Hrothgar try to help his own people? Though he was praised for being a good king, to me it doesn't really seem like he cared about the Danes enough to try to save them before getting the unexpected aid from Beowulf. And if he hadn't have come, how long would Grendel have terrorized Heorot before Hrothgar would finally realize he'd need to take action and get involved?
ReplyDeleteFlipping through the pages of Beowulf, I could not help but be amazed by the richness of the Old English languages. When one reads the Old English text out loud, it has a very full bodied sound. Following along with text, whilst playing the audio of the Old English has a very powerful effect. Beowulf's story of might, heroism and manliness is perfectly suited to the sound of the Old English language. It is my understanding that after centuries of translation, the true meaning of the Old English version was lost, leaving us with a watered down version of this epic. One of the central questions I have going into the text regards Hrothgar and his reaction to Grendel's terror. Is Grendel a beast of such proportions that the entire army of Heorot could not defeat him. I believe that something is holding Hrothgar back from attacking Grendel himself, perhaps there is a connection that will be further revealed as the text progresses.
ReplyDeleteSeveral themes within Beowulf still are prevalent in the modern day translation. One such theme is the ability of man to bring destruction upon himself. The foreshadowing of the end of Heorot, the barbaric burning, symbolizes the eventual demise of all things grand and joyous in life. I predict that Beowulf's arrival to Heorot, while benificial in the short term, will eventually bring destruction upon his people.
It is amazing how barbaric the language comes across but how rich the text is. The command over the language is very impressive for how long ago it was written and it almost makes me forget how crude their culture actually was. I was also very surprised at the length of the story, they did not have a scroll in front of them to rely on to retell it. A person would have to listen to the story enough times to learn it then recite it back to a new audience. There would obviously be minor changes and it would not be told word for word. It is scary to think how close this piece was to being lost forever and the best insight we have into their culture. I was turned off at the idea of a poem because meaning can often be lost trying to fit the structure of the piece. The author did not struggle to convey his message and I thought that was easier to read than most conventional texts. The author did not give any in-depth explanations to certain actions but I like how it is up to me to make my own interpretations. I do not see how Shield's story is relevant to Beowulf but it might have given a historical context for the intended audience. This is a very dated piece that does not appear to be written to be a timeless classic. Normally when I hear stories, I am the intended audience so it will be a new twist not being the intended audience.
ReplyDeleteI felt that translation done by Heaney was excellent. I did not expect the epic to be a good story, but it was a great story that I actually enjoyed reading. He did a great job filling in any parts that could not be translated and made it into a great story. I was surprised by the story of how Beowulf survived in the fire of the book collector's library and it was almost as if fate that it was kept in good enough condition to be translated into modern English. I think that the religion and God aspect that was weaved into the poem was a little forced and uncalled for at some points, but we talked about how someone put those in after it was written. Other than that the rest of the stylistics really showed Beowulf to be a norse myth. I just wonder why during the poem it was very quick to the point during important scenes and then later on it repeated all of what happened when Beowulf told his story. There seemed to be a lot of unneeded details but that may just be how things were written at the time.
ReplyDeleteInitially, when starting to read Beowulf I made the same mistake that many others had made before me. I tried to compare the story to Homer's "The Odyssey." It's an easy mistake to make when comparing the age of the stories, the style in which their told, and the focus on a central hero. But as I read on, I began to realize my mistake and I started to enjoy the story for what it is.
ReplyDeleteThe Old English is rich and incredible to listen to. Unfortunatly, I can only understand every 7th or 8th world and I can't draw meaning from the Old English alone without going to the translation. I think that a lot of the detail, elaboration, and emotion is lost in the translationa nd that really disappoints me. It stinks taht no one will ever know the true author, the true meaning, or even the whole story of this work of art.
On a postive note, I'm pleasantly surprised by the realive ease of reading this book. I came in expected it to be incredibly difficult to understand and comprehend. I was completely wrong, the story flows great, it reads quick, and the balance in the sentences makes it very enjoyable to read.
My initial impression of "Beowulf" was that is was truly intriguing to read. Because it's so old and written in Old English, I expected it to be severely boring and difficult to get through. I thought the author did a really good job creating such ferocious monsters and a protagonist that at times you almost didn't want to root for. He did a very good job at showing that even a flawed hero is still a hero. Some questions I had while reading were these: Before Beowulf fought Grendel etc. how great was he really? How much of what he said (like battling with sea monsters) was actually true? And how do we know that he wasn't just piggy-backing off of his father's fame?- is Grendel meant to be an actual monster or a real (albeit evil) person, perhaps a serial killer? or is he simply a metaphor for evil?- if Beowulf was so great then why did he always need the help of others?- why was Grendel's mother a main character and not his father (assuming Hrothgar is not his father). Women were supposed to be inferior and not even worth mentioning and yet Grendel's mom get a third of the book.- And finally, why did Beowulf return to Geatland instead of staying in Heorot where he was strongly revered?
ReplyDeleteWhile I read through the epic poem Beowulf, initially I was disappointed. I was expecting something a little more epic. In comparison to modern adventure stories, Beowulf falls a little flat. Then, when I look at Beowulf in context of when it was written, and how it was meant to be told, Beowulf become just as epic as I had hoped it would be. Beowulf was not meant to be read, it was written to be told. When the audience is given time to analyze the story in detail, there is no way someone could have swam for many day, or had the strength of thirty men. If you read Beowulf in the mentality the author expected, around a campfire, these exaggerations become acceptable, and Beowulf is elevated form story to history. In oral form, the poet’s lack of detail also becomes more acceptable. I’m used to seeing pictures and reading description of stories I have read. Beowulf mad me realize that there is a simple elegance in fewer details. The unique way Beowulf is told makes the audience equally important to the storyteller.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading Beowulf I was very confused as to the plot of the story and the meaning behind it. The general feel of this epic poem is much different from what I am used to reading, which is understandable considering its age. I felt that the story began the way an old folk tale would unfold, rather than the story plot I was expecting. The initial explanation of background information seemed similar to the type of stories that are intended to teach a lesson. It is important to realize that the text was originally a story to be spoken aloud, not to be read from a book. Understanding this, it would seem that the original author of this story may have been trying to pass on a message. Even more so, the monk or other who chose to write this story down may have had his own message to pass on, transposed upon the older story. Overall, despite my initial confusion, the story seems solid and carefully thought out.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to address the old English reading we listened to in class. My first impressions of the language were just how rugged and rough it is. Some of it almost even sounded like a yakking or coughing noise. Because of such a difference in dialect, it was hard to understand although when you read it you can certainly see many words very similar to modern English. My initial impressions of Beowulf are that it is actually a very interesting read. It is definitely a story with quite a bit of action, and even though it is such an old text it is still pretty easy to understand and relate to, even for modern day readers.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Zack's comment, I totally agree. I think everyone enters Beowulf with the expectations of blood and fighting and action, a Micheal Bay book for the 11th Century. What we find is much different. Of course, the Old English Poetry still caries the same brevity, translated or not, and I absolutely adore the use of ceasure to create that edge of the seat excitement. We can only imagine what this story would have been like told around a fire, whilst listening to the wolves howling in the dark. Now, with that point in mind, this book pales in comparison to modern day action movies, in terms of action. One can only describe an action sequence so long before it becomes redundant and boring, one can show an action scene for an entire movie! However, I doubt anyone will contest the incredible importance of Beowulf in its scope and message. The old hero, dead on the rocks, his dragon foe dead besides him? Timeless. It's pretty funny to think some 80 years ago this story was bashed for being too violent and too action focused, yet now in today's society it has become a minor bump in a long list of adrenaline pumping sources of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Zack's comment, I totally agree. I think everyone enters Beowulf with the expectations of blood and fighting and action, a Micheal Bay book for the 11th Century. What we find is much different. Of course, the Old English Poetry still caries the same brevity, translated or not, and I absolutely adore the use of ceasure to create that edge of the seat excitement. We can only imagine what this story would have been like told around a fire, whilst listening to the wolves howling in the dark. Now, with that point in mind, this book pales in comparison to modern day action movies, in terms of action. One can only describe an action sequence so long before it becomes redundant and boring, one can show an action scene for an entire movie! However, I doubt anyone will contest the incredible importance of Beowulf in its scope and message. The old hero, dead on the rocks, his dragon foe dead besides him? Timeless. It's pretty funny to think some 80 years ago this story was bashed for being too violent and too action focused, yet now in today's society it has become a minor bump in a long list of adrenaline pumping sources of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most compelling aspects of Beowulf is its glimpse into the ancient Anglo-Saxon society. The raw Old English language easily takes me back in time, almost as if I were gathered in the town square entranced by the bard's story of Beowulf. As one of the oldest surviving stories in the English language it holds the power to retell history. Through the story, we realize how the heroic code dictated almost all of societies' actions. However, I do feel that much of the emotional sentiment of the poem was lost not only due to the translation but also because we are reading a story that was meant to be told. There are instances where irony isn't as easily unveiled because we can't hear the inflections in tone of the poet. Nonetheless, Beowulf still holds a certain impact on whoever reads it. The symbolism, motifs, and themes that are embedded in the poem never fails to revive the spirit of the Anglo-Saxon and the epic poem of Beowulf.
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ReplyDeletePrior to reading Beowulf, I knew very little about any part of the story, so when I found out the character Beowulf was a man and not a wolf, my entire perception changed immensely. As I read through the book, I found it extremely entertaining when I remembered that this is one of the oldest pieces of literature in the English language. The story had features I would not have expected a pre-medieval time story to have such character depth and detail (I was still under the ignorant impression that this era was still drawing cows on cave walls.)I found it very enjoyable to read, however, because although the story was set in a time ages ago,the ideas and concepts of the novel such as hero versus monster were very relatable to modern day stories. Although finished with this novel, I still wonder what is the story behind Grendel's attacks and the twelve-year feud that went on between the Danes and Grendel.
ReplyDeleteBeowulf does a great job of expressing the thought and general feeling of the Old English period. There is no question that the poem can be looked at not only as a compelling story, but as a unique glimpse through history.I aslo believe that we can learn much from the language in which the poem was written that can teach us much about the roots of the english language we speak today. We also see evidence in the poem of the importance of the traditional norse Heroic Epic; placing Beowulf as the glorified hero, yet also stressing the importance of new arising christian values. So overall the poem does a splendid job of showing the "attitude" of the time it was written, but the thematic elements as well as the plotline can not be forgotten. An important theme of the poem is that of Good Vs Evil. The choice to include this in the poem echoes the similarities between written novels today, and Poems one thousand years ago.
ReplyDeleteMy initial impressions of Beowulf were that it was a fantastic story if one could put oneself back 1000 years and into the mindset of the people of that time. In terms of modern day stories, it lacked basic characteristics, such as a distinct plot. That being said, it did not take away from the awesomeness of the story and the amazing language that was used at that time. I thought the old english translation reading was really cool, and it made me want to curl up next to a fire and listen to this story being told. I think it was tougher to read initially, because its not a story that should be read silently, but told to an audience. Being a history buff, reading one of the oldest stories in the English . For me, because it allowed one to peer into a section of history about which not a ton is known, and really allowed you to see the mindset of the people living back then, and what would've entertained them. It also shows you the basic fundamentals of the English language, which is really interesting as well, because you can sort of see how it developed. Personally, the story offered me feeling of love for war and battle, which were so important to culture at that time.
ReplyDeleteI find Beowulf incredibly interesting. I believe when you read the old english version as you read the translated copy, it gives the story a whole new depth that you simply can't get in today's literature anymore. I was intrigued by the way in which it was written but find it a bit off putting the lack of motivation for the first monsters' attack.
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest, my expectations of Beowulf were not set very high initially. I assumed that because the poem was written so long ago it would only express antediluvian, obsolete ideas and themes; however, this assumption was completely wrong. For example, throughout Beowulf it is made very apparent how important one's own identity is and, also, how it important it is to establish one's self. This is very relatable to how people act nowadays. Also, I was caught off-guard by how well the author of this poem used adjectives to describe everything.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really fascinating that this poem was meant to be spoken aloud, as well. I can't say I've read anything like this before, and it was definitely something new and interesting. It's really too bad I can't understand Old English. I'm sure that Beowulf would be more exciting and draw out more emotions if one were to listen to it in it's original form.
Beowulf really did not leave a lasting impression on me. The monsters in the story were good but overall nothing else was truly appealing. In the beginning it was kind of hard to understand the writing style since I've never read anything quite like it before. After reading for a while I finally could sort of understand what was going on. The text could be a really emotional piece if you read into it but if just quickly reading though then it is kind of hard to pick up on that. I feel like the old English seems to be more emotional though, maybe it was just the way the man read it though. I might be the only one but the old English writing made absolutely no sense to me, I could never pick up on any words or feelings by myself. Overall, not a huge fan.
ReplyDeleteMy initial impression of the old English text is that it is obvious that it was never meant to be a written document. Before the written language was created, most stories were passed down verbally from generation to generation. Hearing the poem spoken in its native tongue allowed me to recognize the poetic qualities of the epic poem that were lost in the translation. In the old English version, alliteration is much more present, as the original author uses patterns of nasal, dental, and liquid sounds. When comparing the two texts, I find it almost impossible to recognize any symmetry besides proper nouns or words that constantly repeat. I do believe, however, that the author of the English version did an excellent job translating the poem because it does keep some poetic qualities at some points and clearly depicts the poem's epic events.
ReplyDeleteAfter just picking up Beowulf and reading a small piece, I could tell that it is meant to be spoken. Reading/listening to the old English translation only supports that idea. You an tell that there are some things that are lost when the old English is translated into modern. Because of the epic nature of the plot and characters, it is easy to visualize the story being told verbally. It is also somewhat predictable as far as the basic plot goes. I think this shows that Beowulf was used as a template by many other following authors.
ReplyDeleteAfter we had read the first few pages of Beowulf in class, I was relieved to find that the novel was not as hard of a read as I had expected it to be. Also, I had expected there to be more action in the novel, and felt that the storyline started a bit slow. When we had listened to part of the audio recording of Beowulf in class it was really interesting to look on with the novel and recognize a few of the words being spoken in relation to the text in front of us. When translated into text I think that some of the depth of the story had been lost because when listening to the audio recording you could tell that there was a lot of emotion in the speaker’s voice. We had discussed in class how even the first word of the novel had been different in other translations and I feel that we may be missing some of the richness of the story because it had been translated different ways.
ReplyDeleteThe Old English of Beowulf seems more Germanic in nature than English. The rustic hard sounds are traces of a harder language like German, and a story meant to be told, not read. The only thing that is confusing to me about this story being intended for vocal storytelling is the breaks in the lines. I do not understand how that would be conveyed through voice. In respect to Heaney's translation, I was most intrigued by the description of Shield Sheafson in the first lines. It demonstrates the virtues of the time: ferocity, generosity, and nationalism. I am excited to see how these themes carry through the rest of Beowulf's tale.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that lineage is of great importance to the medieval peoples of Beowulf's time. Virtue seems to be carried genetically from character to character, and I am excited to see if evil is also shared via lineage in Grendel and his mother.
I predict that hubris will play a role in the downfall of Beowulf, because the line between nationalism and pride is so fine that it would not present itself as a theme so quickly if it were not going to become a major conflict point.