This document provides an overview of characteristics of Old English literature based on analyzing texts from the period. It begins by presenting a passage from the Old English story of Jacob's Deceit, followed by its translation and analysis of phonetic features and glossing of key words. Next, it discusses some general characteristics of Old English texts, such as alliteration, kennings, and biblical allusions. Overall, the document uses examples from Old English texts like the story of Jacob's Deceit to illustrate literary techniques and vocabulary typical of the period.
1. Characteristics Of Old English Period
Old English Period
In this research paper I will be talking for Old English, Middle English and Modern English Period,
I am going to summarize their main characteristics such as: history, vocabulary, grammar and
writing system. English literature begins before the fourteenth century. The unity of language
consists on the one hand in the insistence of a language which remains from first to last fairly
intelligible and on the other hand in the continuity of written records handed down generation to
generation. These two conditions were not fulfilled in England until the days of Chaucer. The first
contributor is Anglo–Saxon literature and the second is the literature imported from France ... Show
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The Anglo–Saxon poetry is generally wistful in form and edifying in spirit, one long lamentation
breathed forth by the zeal and new converts to Christianity. Even though the earliest forms of
English literature have perished and we know that nothing whatever of Old English poetry in its
rudest shape. All the earliest literature consists of four ancient volumes (manuscripts). The first one
is that of Beowulf from the 10th century with Judith in it. This manuscript is safely preserved in the
British museum and for the first time it is published in 1815. The second manuscript is the Exeter
Book, third one is Junian Manuscript and the fourth one is Vercelli Book. Though it is very old this
literature has some literal value, it is mainly contained of poetry which may be divided into Old
Pagan Poetry and New Christian Poetry. Both poetries are written with the same verse stressed and
alliterative while as stylistic figures mostly had synonymies, metaphors, hyperbolas, epithets
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2. Biblical Allusions In Beowulf
Beowulf is a poem written down and told in the Anglo–Saxon era. It is an epic poem written by an
unknown author. An epic poem is long narrative poem dealing with the trial and achievements of a
hero or heroes. This epic poem is about the trial of a man named Beowulf who fights off creatures
and is king of the Geats. Beowulf is a primary epic because it starts in oral tradition and eventually
gets written down hundreds of years later. Beowulf was first poem to ever be written down in old
english and it was translated to modern English by Seamus Heaney. It is believed that Beowulf was
originally written down by a Christian monk. This is because there are Christian references all
throughout the book even though the poem was originally spoken in a pagan, Anglo–Saxon way.
Pagans are people who don't know of, or don't believe in the bible. Beowulf was one of the first
recorded bridges between pagan and Christian values and beliefs. An artifact is an ... Show more
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During that time Beowulf was orally told. Throughout time, it had slowly drawn in more and more
Christian references and biblical allusions. In the story while everyone is celebrating at Heorot, they
talk about the "waters rising" and "drowning people for retribution." This is an obvious biblical
allusion to the story of Noah in the bible. This story that was probably added by the christian monk
who supposedly wrote it. Pope Gregory made christian rituals similar to pagan rituals and it gave
people hope and connected the two groups. For example, pagans celebrate the winter solstice.
Christians celebrate Jesus' birth around the same time so Pope Gregory condensed the celebrations
together so that both groups were celebrating together. The celebrations were previously very
similar. This influenced many pagans to become christian. This is one of the events that started the
major transition between Anglo–Saxon pagans and Anglo–Saxon
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3. Old English : Age Of The Island
Old English (500 AD to 1100 AD)
Before England became the England that we know today, the island knew several other languages
that we now call Old English. The earliest inhabitants of the island lived there anywhere from
50,000 to 250,000 years ago. The first recorded language in early England was spoken by the Celts
until 43 AD when Emperor Claudius conquered the island, but never made it as far north as Wales
and Scotland. Latin inscriptions have been found all over the island, but interestingly, the Celtic
language remained relatively the same. Four hundred years later the Germanic tribes, the Angles,
Jutes, and Saxons, on the mainland began invading England and the areas that we now know as
Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Eventually, the Angles and Saxons took over the British Isles,
which is where we get the term Anglo–Saxon. These people settled peacefully by the Celts and
established their own communities.
The Anglo–Saxons were the first group of people to use the word English to describe the language
they spoke. This came from the West Germanic tribes being called the Angli and Anglia in Latin
tests. The Anglo–Saxons called their own spoken language Englisc which came from the names
Angles. The people who spoke this language were called the Angelcynn which translates into the
people or the kin of the Angles. Around the year 1000, the island became known as the land of the
Angles or Englaland. Interestingly, the language, English, is an older word than England. The
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4. Examples Of Kennings In Beowulf
Beowulf, originally a tale told only orally by poets, is one of the oldest and well known pieces of
surviving English literature. An example of a great epic poem, the plot surrounds a courageous
warrior king with super–human strength who defeats demonic monsters. Besides the allure of a hero
who reflects the warrior ideals of Anglo–Saxon society, the imagery and poetic nature add to its
appeal to people across time. Specifically, the symbolism of light and dark, kennings to describe the
courage of heroes and the evil of monsters, and the descriptions of setting make the poem
captivating. The poets who recanted the epic of Beowulf used light and dark as symbols for good
and evil to help contrast the struggle between the good hero and the ... Show more content on
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The poet wanted to express the greatness of Heorot hall, as shown in: "hall of halls... the hall
towered/ its gables wide and high and awaiting" (7, lines 78–82). Imagery was also used when
describing the boat and the surroundings when Beowulf and his crew were traveling to the land of
the Danes. For example, the poet said "boat was on water/in close under the cliffs... sand churned in
the surf... shining war–gear in the vessel's hold... wood–wreathed ship... flew like a bird" (17, lines
210–218). Strong verbs like churned and alliteration in wood–wreathed add to the great descriptive
imagery of setting. The description of the lake where Grendel's mother lives also had great imagery
and helped the reader feel the fear and suspense of the Geat warriors who were about to face the
terrible monster. "Frost–stiffened woods.... above a mere... maze of tree–roots... water burns" (95,
lines 1363–7) conjures terrifying images of a burning lake. Even further description of the lake is
given in "narrow footpaths... dismal wood... mountain trees growing at an angle above grey stone...
bloodshot water" (99, lines 1409–1417). The reader can imagine climbing through the wild forest on
a dangerous cliff and seeing the water that they know houses a terrifying monster. This use of
imagery can pull the reader into the story and help them form better connections to the characters
and
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5. King Alfred Research Paper
King Alfred of Wessex was probably the best known of all "Anglo–Saxon rulers". And Alfred's
reputation still stands high with historians, though few would now want to follow following,
claiming him as 'the most perfect character in history.'
Alfred is someone who has had greatness thrust upon him. How and why did he acquire his glowing
reputation, and how does it stand up today? There can be no doubt that Alfred's reign was
significant, both for the direction of the country's development and the fortunes of his descendants.
Alfred was the only surviving Anglo–Saxon province. Alfred nearly succumbed to the Vikings, but
kept his nerve and won a decisive victory at the battle of Edington in 879. He then paved the way
for the future unity of England, who conquered the remaining areas held by the Vikings in the east
and north, so that by the mid–tenth century, the England we are familiar with, was ruled as one
country for the first time. Alfred studied, and even translated from Latin into Old English, certain
works that were regarded as "most necessary for all men to know". Alfred also tried to put these
principles into practice, for instance, he became convinced that those in authority in church or ...
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One could say that Alfred asserted the positive, and ignored those elements of ruthless, dictator–like
behavior which any king needed to survive in the ninth–century. Alfred did what other kings as
himself during that time could not risk to do or afford for his own country/nation, which was to be a
fair and just and show kindness to almost everyone in his domain. As a pious king with an interest in
promoting the use of English, Alfred was an ideal figure for emerging English at a Protestant
Church. It was from this period that "Alfred" became favoured as a Christian name at all levels of
society in that time
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6. Literature And Old English Literature
Throughout history, English Literature has evolved in many ways. It has changed from Old English
to Middle English. One big change is how we shared and communicated stories. Quite a few other
things that changed are the attitudes of fighters, and who heroes fought against. The treatment of
women differed from seeing women as possessions to seeing them as people. The role of religion
changed to have less of an influence. Plagues led to the end of the feudal system, and king's absolute
power was taken away. The mass production of books came after the end of the plague. People
started keeping records of time. Climate change created many issues with crops. All of these
changes caused extraordinary effects on the transition from Old ... Show more content on
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These aspects changed during the Middle English era. Fighters went from almost barbaric attitudes
to being chivalrous. Fighters also no longer fought for personal fame, and instead fought for god,
the king, honor, and women. With this attitude we saw many more knights in the society. Similarly
who heroes fought was also greatly changed from Old English to Middle English. In Old English
heroes would go into battles against monsters twice their size. Heroes also fought against gods and
other supernatural forces. They were seen as everyday people who could take down and defeat these
forces no man should be able to. The hero's tales soon changed from these outrageous stories of
fighting monsters to Arthurian legends. In the Arthurian legends, heroes were the kings and knights
who fought to protect their kingdom. Earthy stories were told of the middle class to make them
seem dirty and undesirable. Equally important is how in Old English women were seen as objects to
fulfill men's desires. Women were a Source of unpaid labor, and offerings. The consideration of
women as equals was not common. When making treaties men of power would use attractive
women as a pawn to ensure the favored outcome. Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the first
to bring the unjust treatment of women to light. She provided a strong figure for women to aspire to
be. Eleanor's daughter, Marie of France, continued in
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7. Literary Analysis Of Beowulf, An Old English Epic
A piece of text is significant to the reader for many aspects, especially its historical value. A text
such as this is Beowulf, an Old English epic. Whilst reading it, or its synopsis rather, I fell in love
with it, not because of the degree of heroism showed by its protagonist or the emotions it displayed,
but because it took me centuries ago, to a place unfamiliar to me, and it showed me history that one
could never enjoy when reading a history book.
When I analyzed the text, I realized that it revealed a world that though unfamiliar, was in most
ways similar to the century I live in. Therefore, it evoked a feeling of comfort, of assurance that the
text is one I can relate to. It is my deepest wish then, to share my newfound knowledge with you,
and to use Beowulf to measure the disparity of the world of the Anglo–Saxons to modern day.
Some would view the women in Beowulf as useless and mentioned merely to further emphasize the
social status of the men in their lives. However, if you read the text carefully(and research a bit
while you're at it), you will find that Anglo–Saxon women proved to be vital to their community's
well–being. Hildeburh, a female character in the epic, was a Danish princess who was married off to
the King of Jutes. Women like her were called peace–weavers, they unite two tribes, warring or not,
and strengthen their own through marriage. Queen Wealhtheow also plays a major role. During the
feast in Heorot, she was described as the one who gave the
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8. Examples Of Heroism In Beowulf
The Old English Beowulf, which was composed sometime between the seventh and the tenth
century, is considered first important literally work written in English, and is classified as a heroic
poem. Heroic poetry was immensely popular then and it had strictly and distinctly specified
structure, i.e. mechanics, with the glorious hero in its focus, and as the main link. The eponymous
protagonist of the poem Beowulf is created as the perfect and impeccable embodiment of all the
qualities that were at those times expected to be found in a hero.
From the moment he is introduced in the poem, it becomes quite apparent how much Beowulf is
idealized. We meet him as some sort of deus ex machina, the god–like character accompanied by
flattering adjectives ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Not everyone could be a hero. Heroes were supposed to possess great deal of bravery and chivalry,
but also justice and honor was of significant importance for all of those combined would make an
ideal leader. Every society needed a leader, someone strong and confident enough to guide and
defend them even in the darkest of times. From that it follows the conclusion that being a
courageous and capable warrior was the most desired quality in a hero. And precisely that was
Beowulf's greatest virtue. Even in his youth, he had already done some praiseworthy deeds that
made him widely famous, but of course, that was not nearly enough. He bare handedly defeated
demonic Grendel with his inhuman strength and easily slaughtered his even more vicious mother,
thus extending his list of completed extraordinary quests, earning himself a lifetime glory and
becoming " immortal" and even closer to gods. That brings us to another quality of heroes. It was
not expected from heroes then to be humble and modest of their actions. As Beowulf clearly
demonstrates, the whole point of doing the impossible was so you can brag about it later. Boasting
during ceremonial feasts and on every other occasion was like
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9. Analyzing Texts in Old, Middle and New English
A The analysis of texts 1. Old English – The story of Jacob's Deceit 17. And hēo sealde him Þone
mete Þe heo seaÞ, and hlāf; and hē brōhte Þæt his fæder 18. and cwæð: 'Fæder mīn!' Hē andswarode
and cwæð: 'Hwæt eart Þū, sunu mīn?' 19. And Iācob cwæð: 'Ic eom Ēsau, Þīn frum–cenneda sunu.
Ic dyde swā Þū mē bebude. Ārīs upp and site, and et of mīnum huntoðe, Þæt Þu me blētsiƷe.'
Translation: 17. And she sold him that meat she boiled, and bread, and he brought them to his father.
18. and said: "Oh, my father!" he answered and said: "What are you(what do you want), my son?"
19. And Iacob said: "I am Esau, your first–born son. I did what you bid me. Arise up and sit and eat
what I got of my hunting, so that you bless me" Phonetic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
hwæt |Old Scan. –ƕat, L – quod |what |what | |6. hlāf |Germ. –liab, old Scand.–hleifr, Goth.–laifs,
ср.Рус. –хлҌбъ |loaf |bread | |7. huntoðe |old. Fr.–hurter |hunting |hunting | |8. blētsiƷe |Early
Nortumbr. –bloedsia |bless |bless | |9. Þæt |Germ. –die, der, das. Old Scand.– sá, Þat, Goth. –sa,sō,
Þata. |that |that | | |Greek –ho, hē | | | |10. fæder |Latin – pater |father |father, отец | 2. Middle English
– From Capgrave's Chronicle of England [1394] In the XVIII. Ʒere the Kyng held his Parlement at
Dulyn, and thidir com alle the lordes that had mad subjeccion onto him. And in that same tyme,
Edmund, duke of York, Keper of Ynglond, held a Parlement at London; to whech Parlement cam the
duke of Gloucetir fro Yrlond, expressing the Kyngis costis in Yrlond: and his legacion was so
acceptabil, that the clergy graunted him a dyme, and the lay fe a fiftene. In this
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10. Examples Of Anglo Saxon Values In Beowulf
In the Old English period every single narrative came with a set of values. This was called the
Anglo– Saxon Value System. Each value was considered like our modern life lesson in a way. Each
value represented something in the story, epic, or poem. In the narratives of The Story of Caedmon
of Whitby, Beowulf, and The Seafarer, almost all of them teach about the value of strength, courage,
and loyalty.
Beowulf is an epic tale that teaches us about the value of strength. This epic is the showing of
Beowulf's strength throughout the entire poem. The poet tells us that there is no single man other
than Beowulf who can complete the task of defeating the Danes greatest fear, Grendel. The author
states, "... blunted every mortal man's blade" (37). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Bede also apologizes for the imperfect translations because what Caedmon sang was truly beautiful.
His exact words were, "This is the general sense, but not the actual words that Caedmon sang in his
dream; for verses, however, masterly, cannot be translated literally from language into another
without losing much of their beauty and dignity" (83–84). This poem is not simply a poem but it
also illustrates the value of courage. This shy man did not want to take in any part of the feasts that
took place in the abbey. The reason for this is because at that time, "... he could never compose any
frivolous or profane verses..." (82). He eventually gained the courage to speak aloud his verses; he
can now compose by the grace of God. He receives them in a dream, where God said, "Caedmon,
sing me a song" (83). Caedmon responded that he did not know how to sing and God said sing;
Caedmon then asks what to sing. God's responses, "Sing about the Creation of all things" (83). After
that dream it was time for Caedmon to be heard. When the time came for him speak, he gathered all
his courage he received from God and spoke unto the people of the feast a beautiful verse about the
creation story. This displays courage because being a shy person and suddenly speaking aloud to
people can be extremely frightening. God gave Caedmon this power to create not only outstanding
verses but to help him come out of his shell of
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11. Old English Modern Mestizaje Analysis
Old English Modern Mestizaje a thesis show that's scheduled for the Baustein Building in Holyoke,
MA. on March 29, 2018. The show is a Studio Arts Department requirement to complete an MFA
but it also gives me the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge of theory and form as it's
articulated through visual art. The show marks the end of my term as a student but it also is the
beginning of a venture and transition into the next phase of my life and career. My work is informed
by the complex structures of cultures and hybridity, my work investigates indigenous histories,
culture and memory production in the contemporary moment. As a point of reference, I adopt
Antonio Gramsci's Marxist analysis on the hegemony of capitalism and those who govern
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12. Beowulf Comparison Essay
Beowulf is an Old English epic poem and is the longest surviving piece of poem in Old English
literature. The poem is set in Scandinavia and revolves around a hero of the Geats. Beowulf. He
comes to the aid of the Dane king, Hrothgar. The Danes suffer the reproaches of a creature they call
Grendel. Little does the great hero Beowulf know that killing Grendel was just the beginning of an
avalanche that would lead to more dire events. The book and the movie have many similarities.
They maintain the setting of Denmark. The characters maintain their personalities and conflicts also
remain. The Geats are portrayed to live off the profit they make from slaying undesirable beings. In
both the movie and the book, the Geats are heros whom vanquish ... Show more content on
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A beast called Grendel ravages their feasts and celebrations they hold in their kingdom, massacring
many innocents. The problem faced by the King of the Danes is represented effectively in both
movie and book.
One of the major differences between the movie and book would be how Grendel is described. In
the movie he is depicted to be something that crawled out of a swamp. He is mossy, and has a
grungy complexion. He doesn't look like a frightening beast capable of causing mass destruction.
In the book, Grendel doesn't quite have a swampy look. He has a massive form with great sharp
claws and hands large enough to squash thirty grown men. The mental image created by his
description is truly frightening. The book emphasizes Beowulf's power and strength in his ability to
stop the beast. The movie doesn't give Beowulf the credit he deserves and doesn't accurately show
his prowess.
The legendary poem of Beowulf and The Geats has remained a thriving work in literature. It is not a
wonder it has survived this long. It demonstrates strength and creates tension that has readers
enticed in the words. The movie doesn't quite do the poem justice in showing the magnitude of this
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13. King Alfred the Great Essay
King Alfred the Great
King Alfred the Great was born at Wantage, in 849, on a royal manor of his father's holding, a
family estate which long afterward he himself would leave in legacy to his wife. Alfred was the
youngest of five children, four sons and a daughter, born to Ethelwulf by his wife Osburh. When
Alfred was four years old, his father, the king, who by now had long despaired of getting to Rome in
the present state of things, decided to send Alfred there, to at least receive the blessing of the Holy
Father. The pope at the time, Leo the IV, gave Alfred the blessing to become king. Alfred's time
came in the year mid–April 871, when King Æthelred died. Only a king of full age could defend the
land, and although Æthelred ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, Alfred was not content with being on the defensive. He also attacked the Danish–held
City of London in an attempt to diminish the lands ruled under Dane law (Bruce 4). No Anglo–
Saxon king was ever strong enough to coerce a recalcitrant peasantry. Except Alfred who decided to
allow half the men liable for service to remain at home while the other half was out against the
Danes (Stenton 261). In order for Alfred to keep peace and defeat the Danes, he had to win many
major battles. On Easter Sunday 878, when King Alfred withdrew into the Isle of Athelney, there
was every likelihood that before the end of the year Wessex would have been divided out among the
members of the Danish army. King Alfred made sure that Wessex would escape that fate. Although
Alfred did lose a major battle against the Danes only four years ago, he overcame them in 878 when
he won the Battle of Edington. Alfred showed strong resistance by constantly engaging Danish
raiding parties from his base in Athelney. After nearly seven weeks of strong battles, Alfred was able
to begin defeating the Danes (Stenton 253). Along with Alfred's idea of coercing a recalcitrant
peasantry, he had other ways of defeating the Danes as well. Alfred began building warships in
order to develop a navy. The ships in which Alfred built were twice as long as those which they
were intended to meet (Stenton 253). These
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14. A Summary Of Olibrius The Old English Life Of St. Margaret
The Old English Life of St. Margaret describes the events starting from the capture of Margaret by
Olibrius to her beheading. Throughout the entire work, Margaret stays true to her faith in the
Christian God and fights to preserve her virginity, a symbolic representation of her loyalty to her
faith. During the narrative, Margaret is tortured in various ways to relinquish her virginity; she is
beaten, boiled, beheaded, and more, but she remains passive throughout every obstacle except her
encounter with the Devil. In contrast to all of her other encounters, Margaret physically attacks the
Devil, and that action raises the question of what leads her to behave in such a way? Is her patience
running thin? Are her abusers violent tendencies influencing ... Show more content on
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Margaret the reader is confronted with various bizarre events that Margaret is forced to face. She is
beaten, burned, encaged, and beheaded which are punishments any normal person would not be able
to withstand. While most people would show some signs of aggression, Margaret remains resolute
and calm. Her encounter with the Devil, however, is delineated from the other challenges she faces
because it is the only instance she uses force to achieve her goal. Therefore, a probing question
throughout the remainder of the reading is why Margaret chooses to hurt the Devil rather than
passively resist? As evident by the text, Margaret's encounter with the Devil is the ultimate test of
her faith, therefore she uses her physical strength to exert maximum control over the situation.
Margaret's dual nature is interesting to observe, yet difficult to interpret. However, through careful
analysis of the circumstances surrounding her actions, one can see that Margaret's physical force to
maintain her
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15. Examples Of Paganism In Beowulf
Beowulf is the oldest piece of surviving epic poems in the English Literature. It was written during
the Anglo–Saxon's period, better known as "Old English". Beowulf is about a warrior, who seeks
fame by doing courageous deeds. He does this, by fighting three powerful foes: Grendel, Grendel's
mother, and a Dragon. These battle show that religions, Christianity and Paganism have been a
significant theme and a part of Suffolk culture.
Beowulf's first enemy, the greedy monster known as "Grendel" symbolized sins within Christianity.
According to page , lines 19–23, the epic states, "He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair
of monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of
Abel's death." Grendel has been compared as Cain and Abel's descendants, the story of Adam and
Eve's oldest son killing his brother. This supports that Suffolk's believed in Christianity, as they
believed Grendel was the "darkest demon" that had been given birth to by the ultimate sinner. The
influence of Christianity amongst the Suffolk culture continues when Grendel is afraid of Hrothgar's
throne. Lines 82–85 it is written, "...When the night hid him, he never dared to touch king
Hrothgar's glorious throne, protected by God– God, whose love Grendel could not know. Fearing
none but the throne, symbolizes his ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 600 A.D., Scandinavians and Germanic tribes were Pagans. The "Old Stones Gods" were the
Pagan Gods that were worshipped BY heathens before Christianity took over England. During his
battle with Grendel's mother, Beowulf had fought her and killed her. Lines 520–525 states, "Her
body fell to the floor, lifeless, the sword the sword was wet with her blood, and Beowulf rejoiced at
the sight". As Grendel's mother had met her last breath, Paganism had disappeared in Sutton Hoo.
Christianity have been taking over by converting Pagans, changing the Suffolk
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16. Beowulf: The Canonization of Anglo-Saxon Literature into...
The cover of the November, 1975 comic book "Beowulf: Dragon Slayer" features a red–haired,
horn–helmeted Beowulf swinging a large broadsword at a purple–caped villain also bearing two
razor–sharp swords. As Beowulf rears up on his steed, a bikini clad woman, cloth slightly aside to
reveal the shadow of a buttock is drawn falling, face filled with terror. In the background, a rising
full moon and silhouetted gothic castle keenly set an atmosphere of dread and foreboding. Above
the emboldened title of the comic book reads in smaller letters, "Beowulf: First and Greatest Hero of
Them All!" Text in the bottom–left corner gives the juicy hook for this edition: "Beowulf Meets
Dracula." Despite over eight hundred years of literary ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Don't tell me D.C. is doing "Classics Illustrated?" No. NOT "Classic Illustrated," but REAL LIVE
action and adventure stories! BEOWULF is the oldest surviving piece of English literature. It's an
epic poem in the vein of "The Odyssey" and "The Illiad," author unknown. It has been hailed as one
of the masterpieces of the English language. It's EXCITING!" (2).
Despite eighteen preceding pages featuring Beowulf fighting monsters and saving beautiful women,
Uslan assumes that the target audience of the comic book considers Anglo–Saxon subject matter
boring and worse, "educational." The excessive use of punctuation, "?!?," following "BEOWULF"
may seem quaint and immature to modern readers but it is worth consideration that Uslan is aiming
his book at contemporary adolescent boys. The over punctuation suggests shock and
disappointment, a sense that D.C., the producers of such wiz–bang fare as Batman and Superman
could stoop so low as to make comics that one would "read for junior high school English class."
The dismay puts Uslan on the side of the reader – his emphatic punctuation endears him to the target
audience as one of their own. Therefore he establishes a middle ground of authority in which to
defend his use of Anglo–Saxon material in comic book form.
Uslan's defense of Beowulf within the space of the mainstream is that it features "REAL LIVE
action and adventure stories." There's a suggestion that academic
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17. Trace the Development of English Lit During Any One...
Trace the development of English lit during any one period...As part of your discussion highlight
how significant events in the influence the writing...Additionally show how characteristics of the
genre the writer uses reflects the period in which it was written. James Arthur Baldwin once stated
that: "know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no
limitations to where you can go." This quotation may apply to the span of the Anglo–Saxon period
because of the coherent linkage to the origination of the English dialect and the modernization of
English Literature. Over the years English literature has evolved greatly. There have been diverse
changes to the structure and development of English language since the ... Show more content on
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Anglo–Saxon society was decidedly patriarchal, but women were in some ways better off than they
would be in later times. "A woman could own property in her own right. She could and did rule a
kingdom if her husband died. She could not be married without her consent and any personal goods,
including lands that she brought into a marriage remained her own property. If she were injured or
abused in her marriage her relatives were expected to look after her interests" (David Ross.) The
women were responsible for grounding of grains, baking of bread, brewing of beer, making of butter
and cheese. During this era it was dangerous to travel; thus, most people would travel only if it was
unavoidable. If possible they would travel by water along the coast or along the river. During the
early Anglo–Saxon period England was a very different place from what it is today. The human
population was very small. They grew their own food and made their own clothes... The lord and
kin had the strongest ties in the Anglo–Saxon society. The ties of loyalty were to the person of a
lord. There was no real concept of patriotism or loyalty to a cause. "Kings could not, except in
exceptional circumstances, make new laws. Their role instead was to uphold and clarify previous
custom. The first act of a conquering king was often to assure his subjects that he would uphold
their ancient privileges, laws, and customs" (David Ross.) One of the most famous kings during the
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18. Examples Of Paganism In Beowulf
Some may believe the poem Beowulf is mostly Christian, that stemming from the belief that the
author is an anonymous Christian monk. Others, however, believe it is a pagan poem while reading
the ideologies it possesses. Beowulf is one of the first known English works, and is an important
literature piece for cultures all over. When originally written, it was in Old English and has been
translated to modern day English, and other languages for many to read. This epic poem treats and
develops universal ideas. Some of these include heroes and heroism, the Christ–like figure Beowulf
represents, the holiness Hrothgar possesses, and the battle of good and evil. This poem is a great
example of the coexistence of ideas, and how to bring them together. ... Show more content on
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Grendel, the beginning monster, can be portrayed as Satan. He is he thief in the night, who comes to
kill and destroy. Grendel cannot know true happiness, and hates everyone who even has the slightest
bit in them. He was born into a life of sin, and does not know any different. His home, the lake in
which he lives with his mother, is a representation of Hell. It is described as bloody, boiling hot,
murky and lifeless water that no man would dare go near. Beowulf dives into these disastrous waves
in attempt to destroy Grendel's mother, and rid of anything evil that flows from it. There are many
examples of life full of sin in this poem, such as wergild; man–payment in gold, the terrorizing that
Grendel and his mother both partake in, and the materialism that is so important to the Geats.
Hrothgar promises Beowulf a ship load of treasures and gold to take back to his people if he defeats
this monster, and that is meaningful to Beowulfs people. In the Final Battle of the poem, 50 years
have passed and Beowulf, an elder now, is the King of the Geats, and must defeat a dragon. This
dragon is in an outrage because someone stole a jeweled cup from his hoard of treasures. This
represents greed, or gluttony, which is one of the seven deadly sins. Loyalty is lost in this passage of
the poem because all of Beowulf's men, except for one, abandon him when he needs them most.
Beowulf takes on
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19. Essay on Christian Elements in Beowulf
Beowulf is one of the great heroic poems in English literature. The epic follows a courageous
warrior named Beowulf throughout his young, adult life and into his old age. As a young man,
Beowulf becomes a legendary hero when he saves the land of the Danes from the hellish creatures,
Grendel and his mother. Later, after fifty years pass, Beowulf is an old man and a great king of the
Geats. A monstrous dragon soon invades his peaceful kingdom and he defends his people
courageously, dying in the process. His body is burned and his ashes are placed in a cave by the sea.
By placing his ashes in the seaside cave, people passing by will always remember the legendary
hero and king, Beowulf. In this epic the presentation of the story telling ... Show more content on
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The frequent allusions to the power of fate, the motive of blood revenge, and the praise of worldly
glory bear testimony to the ancient background of pagan conceptions and ideals. However, the
general tone of the epic and its ethical viewpoint are mostly Christian . There is no longer a genuine
pagan atmosphere. The sentiment has been softened and purified. The virtues of moderation,
unselfishness, consideration for others are practiced and appreciated. The author has fairly exhaulted
the fights with Grendel, his mother, and the dragon into a conflict between powers of good and evil.
The figure of Grendel, while originally an ordinary troll is conceived as an impersonation of evil
and darkness, even an incarnation of the Christian devil. Grendel is a member of the race of Cain, he
is a creature dwelling in the outer darkness, a giant and cannibal. When he crawls off to die, he is
said to join the route of devils in hell. The story of a race of demonic monsters and giants descended
from Cain. It came form a tradition established by the apocryphal Book of Enoch and early Jewish
and Christian interpretations of Genesis 6:4. Many of Grendel's actions are unquestionable epithets
of Satan such as "enemy of mankind," "God's adversary," "the devil in hell," and "the hell slave."
His actions are represented in
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20. King Alfred the Great as One of the Greatest Rulers of...
King Alfred the Great as One of the Greatest Rulers of English History King Alfred the Great can,
in many ways, be considered one of the greatest rulers of England. His defeat of the Danes,
unification of England, many successful reforms and insistence upon the restoration of ecclesiastical
culture are the result of his superior leadership and command. The epithet, "The Great," attached to
his name by writers of the sixteenth century and given to no other English king is another reflection
of the kind of ruler he was.1 A twelfth century writer notes the prestige that was given to Alfred
when he wrote, He reigned for twenty and eight years; there are few such men living: for he was
wise and a good ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 853 he played his first role in politics and diplomacy. At the age of four, Alfred was sent to Rome
by his father to represent him at a papal court. Even at such a young age, Alfred was taking part in
the politics of his country. At four years old Alfred took part in a legal ceremony at his father's court
and at age five he was a witness to a series of charters given to churches by his father.4 Alfred took
part in many of the political activities in his father's court. Because of Alfred's active role in the
diplomacy of his father's kingdom, he had a different education than one would expect a future king
to have. He spent his youth taking part in his father's court and hunting. Through his hunting, he
learned the land of his father's kingdom, which would become an advantage against the Viking
invaders during his reign.5 Alfred did not have a literate education as a young boy. He remained
illiterate in Anglo–Saxon until his teen years and in Latin until much later in his life.6 However, his
literacy made no difference in his ability to lead a country against attack. As the fourth son of a king,
it is quite an oddity that Alfred took the throne in 871. However, with the deaths of all of his
brothers, Alfred was able to lead his kingdom to victory over the Vikings. At a battle in 878 against
the Viking leader Guthrum Alfred was able to defeat the Vikings
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21. Rethinking Gender And Space On Old English Literature
Rethinking Gender and Space in Old English Literature
Beowulf and The Wife's Lament are written between 100 and 1600 centuries. There has been
different interpretation of the poems, some, an attempt to fit the events in the poems into the 21st
century which has led to distortions and misrepresentation especially of the female characters and
their representation in these poems. According to Shari Horner, twentieth century critics have tried
to read women in Beowulf particularly as garrulous, weak, and dispassionate to the plights of
women around them (Discourse of Enclosure 2001). She argues that, reading and "analyzing the
women–or men–of Beowulf according to modern standards will produce an unsatisfactory
understanding, partial at best, of how Anglo–Saxon culture viewed its women and men" (65). To get
the true picture or analyze objectively these poems, the social and historical context that produce
them need to be properly taking into account.
The history, or social context of a literary work at times helps reader to understand the message the
author is trying to pass across. The history of text is important to its understanding. Stephen
Greenblatt in his works argues that: "history cannot simply be set against literary texts as either
stable antithesis or stable background, and the isolation of those texts gives way to a sense of their
interaction with other texts and hence the permeability of their boundaries" (Shakespearean
Negotiations 95). The relationship between
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22. Beowulf Is An Epic Hero Essay
Beowulf is an old english poem from the Anglo Saxon time period, it's an epic poem written by the
Beowulf poet, it shows the traits of an epic hero, the main character, Beowulf illustrates: loyalty,
bravery, devotion to duty, and superhuman strength. The fact that this poem is being passed down
orally over many years, makes the poem very interesting.
SECTION HEADER
The physical description of Beowulf shows how he is an important epic hero. For example, "I am
old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still." (pg. 62 ln. 608–609) Therefore, even though that
Beowulf's old he's still willing to fight for fame, making him a loyal and a devoted warrior when it
comes to battle. He's constantly in search of fame and glory to prove to everyone he is the strongest
of all men!
The thoughts that Beowulf has running through his head are all positive even till the end. For
instance, Beowulf uttered his final boast: "I've never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless
battles." (pg. 62 ln. 606–608) It explains, how Beowulf is dieing and still can fight showing his
bravery and courage. It can only mean he is much wiser and knows that his time as King is almost
up. His bravery only goes as far as his fame. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While Beowulf in his final moments, Wiglaf urging to return to him for the favor he had once done
for him. The feeling of guilt burning inside him pushes him to help his struggling king defeat the
fire breathing dragon. Together they defeated the monstrous dragon, but in the process Beowulf gets
a mortal wound that eventually kills him. Such as, "Then Wiglaf went back, anxious to return while
Beowulf was alive, to bring him treasure they'd won together while Beowulf was alive." (pg. 68 ln.
794–796) This shows, how Wiglaf felt about Beowulf and what he meant to him by saving their
treasure they'd won
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23. Imagery in the Old English Poem Beowulf Essay
Popular Imagery in the Old English Poem Beowulf
Some popular elements of imagery in Beowulf are the mead–hall, the sea, swords, armor including
shields. Let us discuss these items and, where applicable, the archaeological support for them.
Remaining true to the Anglo–Saxon culture's affinity for mead (ale/beer/wine), the characters of
Beowulf partake frequently of the strong beverage. And the mead hall was their home away from
home, with more entertainments than just fermented beverages: "gold and treasure at huge feasts ...
the words of the poet, the sounds of the harp." Needless to say, with "the world's greatest mead–hall
... Hrothgar's people lived in joy." "after a mead party the Danes ... knew no sorrows." When ...
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That was ... the greatest of sorrows." Wiglaf, in censuring the ten who deserted their chief, said, "At
the ale–bench he often gave you ... helmets and armor." In this classic poem, can there be anything
more vital or essential to joyful living, or to conducting business, than the mead–hall?
T. A. Shippey in "The World of the Poem" (45) says:
Some objects in fact reach "mythic" status – most obviously halls. What the poet thinks about these
can be derived most immediately from his run of twenty to thirty compound words for describing
them. Halls are for drinking in winehall, beerhall, meadhall; they are filled with people in guesthall,
retainer hall; in them worth is recognized in goldhall, gifthall, ringhall. They are also the typical,
though not only, setting for festivity and poetry.
"The only archaeological evidence of what Heroic Age royal halls in England were like, comes from
the Yeavering in Glendale in present–day Northumberland, where the site of one of the royal
townships of the English kings of Northumbria has been identified and investigated" (Arnold 91).
The location corresponds to Bernicia, the northernmost Anglo–Saxon kingdom. There
archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a complex of seven large structures surrounded by
eleven smaller ones – the royal villa mentioned by Bede of a seventh century English king (Cramp
132). Each of four of the halls are
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24. What Are The Core Values In Beowulf
When first reading Beowulf, or even before that, many people often cringe at the idea of having to
analyze, process, and understand Old English stories from the Anglo–Saxon period. Along with the
frustrations of comprehending just a sentence, sometimes the deeper meanings and overall image of
the story can get lost. In the case of "Beowulf", this story is no exception. However, not only is this
Anglo–Saxon story a heroic tale of a brave warrior who fights evil, but in reading the tales of
Beowulf, it gives us a way to compare our own lifestyle and core values, to those of the warriors
and people of that area.
In our modern world, we associate warriors to be a variety of people who face challenges that far
exceed those of the average human. Who have to face their fears and, to some extent, the possibility
of losing their lives. To us humans, not only are these the (courageous) criterias of being a warrior,
but we also expect them to be humble, selfless, and not to be arrogant or boastful about their
achievements. Yet unlike our society today, however, cultural traditions and expectations from
society back in the Anglo–Saxon period were quite different, if not the opposite, in the ways
warriors acted and held themselves in society.
After first being introduced to Beowulf and his men, many readers would probably agree with the
fact of being surprised by their appearance and first impressions when they came to Denmark. For
starters, the idea of Beowulf and his fellow warriors
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25. Religion In Beowulf
Beowulf – one of the oldest historical poems, and one of the earliest works of Old English literature.
Formerly this epic poem was conveyed orally and we can't be sure what is the precise time it was
created , but the manuscript, written by an anonymous monks, was produced most likely between X
and XI w. It was a time of a great changes, when the old, pagan mores and traditions were gradually
replaced by Christian beliefs. Obviously, that had influenced the story, where we can detect the
motifs of new religion blend with the pagan origins of that epic tale. It is unknown if the Christian
themes were added by the scribes, or by the previous storytellers concerned about pagan overtone of
the poem.
The story is settled in Scandinavia, when some ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to Christian religion the body ought to be buried, so after the Last Judgement person can
rise from death and live forever. However the last farewell of Beowulf was held in traditional,
paganish way – his body was burned on the pyre, which was adorned with armour as he wished.
That shows how deeply the old faith reminded in the souls of Scandinavians.
Next to pagan mythology it's easy to notice the biblical influences in the tale. The author reminds us
of the famous story from the Old Testament, about the first crime in the history of the world. This is
of course the story of Cain and Abel, in the poem Grendel, the antagonist is labelled as a descendant
of Cain. This portrayal is probably used to emphasize the division of characters, where Grendel is
associated with the evil. Also, it is mentioned that both Cain and Grendel are the banished outcasts
of the society.
In addition, there is also an other reference to the bible, where author describes a punishment for all
unholy spirits roaming around the world. It is an obvious reference to the Great Flood from the Old
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26. The Old English Ways Essay
Throughout history there has always been a struggle for power between absolute rulers and the
people and somewhere in the middle they compromise at democracy. In the past the people have
written documents to that limited the of the king and obtain their natural rights. The Magna Carta
became known as one of the first documents to ever degrade the power of a king. Following the
Magna Carta came the Petition of Rights, this to limited the strength of the king. Succeeding the
Petition of Rights, came the founding of the Bill of Rights. Without boundaries a ruler will abuse his
power over the people. Therefore in order for a ruler to lead a democratic government he must have
boundaries and regulations to abide by. The Magna Carta became the ... Show more content on
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This document was only the first of three document to limit the kings power. King Charles tried to
rule as an absolute ruler, but he was unsuccessful in his attempt. Charles started to take advantage of
his people by using force and unjust taxes. Parliament, unhappy with the conditions of the state
deiced to do something about it. They wrote the Petition of Rights. this document unabled the king
to proceed as he wished. This document states that Parliament has the right to dismiss themselves.
In other words that means the king can not tell Parliament they are finished and no longer have the
power to do anything. Also Parliament would be called to session at least once every three years.
Hence, the king would not be able to completely ignore Parliament and the voice of the people
completely. Consequently limiting his power. Another section declared that the people have the right
to due process and all ancient taxes are abolished. By obtaining these rights and privileges the
people are free to have there life, liberty, and property without a fear of losing any of these without
due process. Lastly, the power of the king was limited by a third document, The Bill of Rights.
Before William and Mary could become king and queen they were forced to sign the Bill of
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27. Beowulf From The Old English Class Essay
Leaning by the door of classroom at early 8:00 am, holding Brave New World as preparing for the
first quiz and waiting for my teacher, Mrs. Palmer, dragging her document box from afar, it was the
first impression of my junior English class. As an international student coming on sophomore year, I
was assigned to take ESL classes, known as the English as Second Language, for the first year.
Therefore, Mrs. Palmer's class was my first bit of the authentic English class. To be honest, I never
liked early classes, especially for English which requires some sophisticated critical thinking
because the tedious lecture seems like a lullaby to me; however, in fact, Mrs. Palmer has proved my
stereotype was totally wrong by her excellent teaching styles. ... Show more content on
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Palmer's class. She loves using simple and euphonic phrases to summarize the seemly hard readings
and make easy for everybody to remember. When we were going to take lectures about Beowulf
from the Old English Literature, she stood on the podium smiling, put down her glass with arm
akimbo as if there would be an important announcement, suddenly and joyfully said "Please keep in
mind –– Beowulf good; Grendel bad. This question will appear on the midterms and final." Indeed,
this line not only showed up in the tests, but also becomes a key to understand the reading
comprehensively. As I read, I found that Beowulf is a true hero traveling from afar to protect Gest
from these supernatural demons. Beowulf is good because of his loyalty and gallantry; Grendel is
bad because of evilness. In addition to that, in order to demonstrate the positioning between commas
and quotes, Mrs. Palmer composed the song of "Comma and Quote" with the rhythm of waltz ––
"Comma, quote, comma, quote, comma, quote, quote!". To be honest, it felt a little bit embarrassing
when we stood up and sang the song, but, no doubt, the orders of using quote and comma has
curved in our mind which benefit our writing
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28. The Old English Baron Essay
1. "Cease to look upon Edmund as the enemy of your house; look upon him as a son, and make him
so indeed!–How say you, Sir Philip? My son!–Yes, my Lord; give him your daughter: He is already
your son in filial affection! Your son William and he are sworn brothers; what remains but to make
him yours? He deserves such a parent, you such a son; and you will by this means, ingraft into your
family, the name, title, and estate of Lovel, which will be entailed on your posterity for ever." – The
Old English Baron, 110
This primary text from Clara Reeve's "The Old English Baron" exhibits the struggle between Sir
Phillip Harclay and Lord Fitz–Owen (The Old English Baron) about allowing Edmund to marry his
daughter. Although "The Old English ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sir Phillip, an honorary knight, even expressed grief when one of his servants passed away "He took
courage, ordered his servant's funeral, attended it himself, and, shed a tear of humanity over his
grave, proceeded alone on his journey. (Reeve, 10)
Sir Phillip, a Christian, felt compassion and loyalty towards peasants/servants and was not
engrossed in social hierarchy. What's morally right or wrong is not determined by class order, but by
his Christian values. He continues to plea with Lord Fitz–Owen requesting Edmund's true
acceptance into his family ", ingraft into your family, the name, title, and estate of Lovel, which will
be entailed on your posterity for ever", believing that it's the most sensible action to take. The honor
of having Edmund ingrafted will be rewarding in more ways than one, hinting towards future
generations of the Baron's family reaping the benefits of this courtship. Sir Phillip initially wanted
Edmund as his own son, wanting to continue his legacy with a family. Even Edmund, a self–
believed peasant, was surprised a knight as grand as Phillip wanted him to serve as a son. Phillip
was well aware of Edmund's status, but focused rather on Edmund's abilities as a charismatic, well
mannered, young man. Edmund denied this grand opportunity due to his relationship with the Baron
and his family, who currently, do not fully reproduce
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29. Alfred The Great's Major Accomplishments
Alfred the Great is considered the greatest king of all time. There are multiple reasons for this, the
most prominent one being his fighting off of the Vikings from Wessex. But, even though that may
be his greatest accomplishment, he did much more to develop the country. These other
accomplishments range from bettering the education in the country, while he had barely any
education himself to creating a complete new code of laws based on his Roman Catholic beliefs. For
a man who never thought he would ever become king, he changed the whole outlook of England's
future and helped build it into the constant superpower that it became.
Alfred the Great was born the youngest of four brothers, which made his path to kingship very
unlikely. Throughout ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Alfred became to care all about the future, and he wanted future leaders to have all the laws already
set up. He never gave up and worked night and day into his old age to preserve the Anglo–Saxon
literature by translating parts into Old English. A few of Alfred's translations are Gregory the Great's
'Pastoral Care', Boethius's 'Consolation of Philosophy', St. Augustine's 'Soliloquies', and the first
fifty psalms of the Psalter. Alfred also had his helpers translate Gregory's 'Dialogues', Orosius
'Histories against the Pagans', and Bede's 'Ecclesiastical History'. One thing that all these pieces of
literature have in common is that they were all chosen so people could learn about politics, laws,
and becoming a bishop or priest. Alfred had no schooling as child, just like many Anglo–Saxon
children of that time. Much of the Anglo–Saxon education system was destroyed by the Vikings,
leaving many children with no way to gain knowledge. Much of their lives became about war and
training for war, just like Alfred. As they young men grew older, they were trained in things such as
horseback riding, hunting, and martial arts. All skills that could possibly be used in war. However,
for much of his childhood, Alfred remained illiterate in Anglo–Saxon until he was a young adult,
and remained illiterate in Latin until
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30. Old English Stereotypes
Have you ever re–watched a tv show you absolutely adored as a child, and thought, what you found
so appealing as a child? Maybe because the graphics and media has now advanced light years
ahead. Or maybe our brains have become numb due to the amount of pointless Facebook videos
'that get us every time' and can no Though we don't like to admit it, we have inevitably matured and
expanded our understanding of society, thankful beyond play schools cardboard representation.
Contemporary movies and tv shows lay out all the possible scenarios of life, allowing us as an
audience to relate with a character and from there, shape our own responses. At the start of grade 11,
we were similar to the 5 year old version of ourselves, learning the basic shapes ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
There are six floors with one person living in each box. Both the teacher, the doctor, the gardener
and the hair dresser live contently in the house together. Lots of people living in this building, with
lots of different jobs, what would you like to be? PAUSE FOR SONG BREAK. As beginners in the
English course (or as little kids) we would have viewed the craft as simply as an encouragement for
children to wonder, to feel and to imagine about the future. Though by critically analysing the
cardboard construction, I can apply my acquired skills of evaluation of perspectives and
representations of concepts, identifies, times and places within the cardboard cut–out. Being a smug
high school student, I could pick apart this activity, highlighting the social hierarchies within the
building, determining whether the difference in occupation devised segregation within the building.
Ultimately it is not necessary to deconstruct the activity, however by doing so I can exercise the
development of my personal opinion on the playhouse to position my stance in society. Just as in
written four semester four, I based my opinion on given stimulus of coral bleaching and from there
constructed my position on the issue and offered a social comment. Like play school, Senior english
has integrated the skills of interpretation and analysis to resistantly illustrate our perspective through
critical
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31. The Old English Proverb, Aesop For Children
Catalyzing Innovation The old English proverb, Aesop for Children, tells the story of a father who
charges his sons to break a bundle of sticks one by one. They easily do so. Then he charges them to
break the united bundle of sticks. None come close. This is a proverb demonstrating the strength in
unity and coordination. This is a proverb an American engineer and inventor largely upheld
throughout the course of his life's accomplishments. Douglas Engelbart, largely known as the
inventor of the mouse, affected the history of computing technology in a much deeper manner.
Rather a chronological account of Engelbart's entire life, this research paper analyzes his greatest
accomplishments in a chronological order that directly supported the increased coordination of
user's efforts. Douglas Engelbart transcended the limits of computing technology by aligning human
minds with computing systems through his collaborative user interface scheme.
Conceptual framework In order to properly highlight Engelbart's accomplishments, some context is
needed in which he developed his collaborative user interface scheme. In the late 1950s Engelbart
joined Stanford Research Institute and there he proposed his vision in a research proposal titled
Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework. This extensive document poses a
hypothesis that the intellectual capacity of a human can be improved with an engineered approach
restructuring the components of our system of comprehension. The
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32. Beowulf Research Paper
Anglo–saxon culture
One of the first things you have to take note on the culture and characterization that is taken from
the poem. In the epic poem Beowulf case, we can see what the ideal hero was of that time. He is
brave, honorable, respectful of his father and ancestors, a great warrior, and believes his good deeds
and great victories were to never be forgotten.
The culture of Germanic men was was the setting for Beowulf. The story begins with Beowulf
himself, king of the greats, when he comes to the aid of the aging king of Danes, Hrothgar. It
follows from the crowning achievements to his untimely death. Even though the poem of Beowulf
centers around Hubris, the story line relies heavily on the environment and culture of the Germanic
people.
There are four major aspects to take into consideration about Germanic culture. Paganism was the
major religion for Germanis to practice, this took numerous forms in each section of the Germanic
world. The religion was more nature based that also intertwined with european rituals as well. They
worshiped gods of nature and some of them had many similarities to other cultures gods. For
example, Germanic god Wodan and Donar, were very similar to the Norse gods Odin, and Thor.
Also strongly present in their culture was bards, men who would sing tales to the village or anyone
who would hear to tell the great ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The most accurate time period in which the poem was written is believed to be around 5th or 6th
century. Our language that is spoken today, is very closely related to a mix of Germanic and Old
English then later on in the centuries, french and latin came into the picture as the second dominate
language. Beowulf was written in a language heavily influenced by the Anglo–Saxon language from
the time, even though the language was never formally written down in
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33. Heaney In Beowulf
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written about 1000 years ago, in the form of lines of alliterative
verse. The story tells of the heroic feats of the hero Beowulf, and includes themes such as comitatus
and bravery. It is the earliest known work of literature in the English language and has been
influential to many modern writers, such as JRR Tolkien. Beowulf was originally written in Old
English, which is now so different from modern English that it is closer to being a different
language than the same. As a result, the poem has been translated into modern English many times
by a wide range of people, each with different intentions and rationales for their interpretations.
Some translations are often regarded to be better than others, for ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Heaney uses words that subtly characterize Grendel as a creature, not a person, choosing phrases
that suggest this. These include "loping" (711), which usually describes animals and not people, and
"bane of the race of men," (712) which suggests that Grendel is not among the race of men. Not
only does Heaney depict Grendel as a creature, but he shows Grendel as an unhinged, evil beast.
While Raffel uses word choices that suggested humanity in Grendel's thoughts, Heaney uses words
that show Grendel as a crazed, demonic monster. For instance, in lines (730–733) Heaney gives a
graphic description of how Grendel wants to kill all the soldiers in Herot, "His glee was demonic,
picturing the mayhem: before morning he would rip life from limb and devour them, feed on their
flesh." Clearly, Grendel is motivated to kill the soldiers not just by hunger, but by some wicked
desire to cause carnage and death. Heaney also uses phrases such as Grendel's "maddening for
blood" (724) and "his days of ravening" (734) to describe Grendel's primal desire to kill. Heaney's
translation clearly characterizes Grendel as a manic demon, which is a stark contrast to Raffel's
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34. Alliteration In Beowulf
Beowulf is an epic poem thought to be written towards the end of the first millennium. Today, it is
considered an old English masterpiece and is also the most ancient known piece of English
literature. Written in "Old English", or the language of the Anglo–Saxons, the story talks about
glorious heroes and dreadful monsters with the typical reference to the struggle between good and
evil. This reference is speculated to be also tied to the crusade, and the fight for strengthening
Christianity. It is also a type of "history book" of how the English language has altered throughout
the time. The poem also contains lots of mythical references including the great hero, Beowulf.
Beowulf, the poem, introduced many new concepts that have been added ... Show more content on
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All of these are beasts that are taken as mythical creatures were all pulled from past mythical fables
or stories. Grendel is a "man–eating [monster] who terrorized the Danes until killed by Beowulf."
Grendel lives, with his evenly monstrous mother, at the bottom of a rank lake inhabited by various
other monsters. He is thought descended from Cain (the originator of all evil spirits), though his
precise genealogy is not given." Grendel could be taken as a representative of the "physical" evil
which was so present in the lives of the Anglo–Saxons. The ruthless dragon is a figure of the
metaphysical evil, a greater evil. Another reference is Beowulf's strength, which is said to have the
strength of "thirty men." These mythical reference tie back to fables that tie back into the ancient
culture as well as the events that occurred during the time like the fight against evil and other
religion related
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35. How Does Orwell Make The Old English Language
Orwell tried to highlight that the Old English language has undergone many changes which have the
effect of making it unclear and we can even say "ugly", but this can not be seized by men of ideas
put totally different to charge usage language.
First it says that a person once escaped from its domination bad imitation, perceive things more
clearly and can make a contribution in changing the misuse of language engleze.Orwell impersonate
proate Exempel certain writings made chiral teachers uses certain phrases or words in an incorrect
faulty presentation, because some are present but fail to clearly convey the desired idea.
They invoke this "metaphors death" which describes that a person went from level to use a
metaphor to describe an image, the level of AUse a metaphor wrong, that totally change the
meaning of words like "hammer and anvil". another thing shown is the term "operators or verbal
false limbs" where we described that certain conjunctions are replaced by the words "shoddy" .A ...
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Points out that an incorrect type of writing is considered writing political people who really do not
realize what is the message that needs to be sent, but only fulfills its duty to present that information
incorrectly. Orwell believes that the greatest threat of language is lack of sincerity as an idea that is
not quite right, but it is nice "dressed" Maybe we can convince a large number of people.
It is also true that poor use of the English language was transmitted by imitation and tradition. We
offer clear examples eprin clear that outlines how the ancient words are removed because they are
considered obsolete words that can not be used in nowadays, because they are considered
meaningless. This is totally wrong and fails than to assist in transmitting incorrect English. Because
when you want to use a word first watch and then think how to describe it in a more precise
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36. The Old English Proverb, Aesop For Children
Catalyzing Innovation The old English proverb, Aesop for Children, tells the story of a father who
charges his sons to break a bundle of sticks one by one. They easily do so. Then he charges them to
break the united bundle of sticks. None come close. This is a proverb demonstrating the strength in
unity and coordination. This is a proverb an American engineer and inventor largely upheld
throughout the course of his life's accomplishments. Douglas Engelbart, largely known as the
inventor of the mouse, affected the history of computing technology in a much deeper manner.
Rather a chronological account of Engelbart's entire life, this research paper analyzes his greatest
accomplishments in a chronological order that directly supported the increased coordination of
user's efforts. Douglas Engelbart transcended the limits of computing technology by aligning human
minds with computing systems through his collaborative user interface scheme. In order to properly
highlight Engelbart's accomplishments, some context is needed in which he developed his
collaborative user interface scheme. In the late 1950s Engelbart joined Stanford Research Institute
and there he proposed his vision in a research proposal titled Augmenting Human Intellect: A
Conceptual Framework. This extensive document poses a hypothesis that the intellectual capacity of
a human can be improved with an engineered approach restructuring the components of our system
of comprehension. The framework is best described
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37. Examples Of Diction In Beowulf
Beowulf speaks volumes about the ways of life during the Anglo–Saxon period. It is to England
what Homer's Odyssey and Iliad are to Greece. It is, as some call it, the mother poem of England.
This mother poem has been passed down through oral tradition for numerous years and scholars
believe that an educated Christian monk transcribed the poem, preserving it in written form.
Beowulf has survived for nearly 1,300 years due to how well it conveys the Anglo–Saxon culture
and the unique characteristics of the poem in its imagery, tone, style and diction. This epic poem
depicts picturesque imagery of various kinds. It is acutely gruesome in many instances, such as the
battle with Grendel and the description of hell's captive and his mother. The ... Show more content
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With much alliteration, imaginative kennings, and caesura. The narrator uses strong alliteration and
does so quite intricately, using single, double and triple alliterations at points throughout the poem;
such as in lines 30–32, "Then, when darkness had dropped, Grendel / Went up to Herot, wondering
what the warriors / Would do in that hall when their drinking was done." (L. 30–32) The narrator
frequently uses kennings in this poem. A kenning in Anglo–Saxon literature is a metaphorical phrase
or compound word that names an event, person, place, or thing indirectly. There are four different
types of kennings that the narrator uses within Beowulf which are prepositional phrase (ex.
shepherd of evil = Grendel, guardian of crime = Grendel), hyphenated compound (ex. sea–road =
the ocean, ring–giver = king), possessive (ex. God's bright beacon = the sun), and open compound
(ex. wakeful sleeper = Beowulf) kennings. A unique quality of the style of Beowulf is caesura,
which is seen in nearly every line within the poem. Caesura is a characteristic of Old English poetry;
it is a pause or a break within a line of poetry and it is usually indicated by the natural rhythm of the
language. Alliteration coincides with caesura; usually the first stressed syllable before the caesura
alliterates with the first stressed syllable after the
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38. Beowulf Influence
As an Old English professor for 35 years, it is clear that Tolkien had a passion for Anglo–Saxon
history (Collier). His writings on Beowulf is critically acclaimed and shows Tolkien's enriched
knowledge of the time period and the Old English style of poetry. Even further, his love for the
English culture and literature can clearly be seen in his own fictional work, mainly The Lord of The
Rings. Throughout this book, Tolkien uses various Old English words for places and people in
Middle–earth. Furthermore, he honors a rich Anglo–Saxon history through the Rohirrim and their
similar culture of war. Lastly, Tolkien mirrors the epic poem Beowulf as he draws from the
characters and lines of the historical piece. While connecting the style and history ... Show more
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Beowulf was the most important work of scholarship that Tolkien read and is what inspired many
scenes and themes in The Lord of the Rings. When analyzing the influence of the Old English
poem, it is important to understand Tolkien's perspective on the poem which explains why it had
such a major impact on his life and his writing. In his piece "Beowulf: The Monsters and the
Critics" Tolkien explains that his love for the poem is based upon the style and beauty of the poem.
He states that Beowulf should be known world–wide due to how the monster's and dragons are
depicted, or its everlasting quality. In his final paragraph Tolkien tosses aside the historical value
that the poem has, or the fact that it was written at such an early time in history. He instead explains
that "it would still have power had it been written in some time or place unknown and without
posterity, if it contained no name that could now be recognized" (Tolkien 20). This passage
summarize his thesis that Beowulf's importance is often misrepresented. Tolkien's inspiration and
passion for the poem comes from how it's "preserved from a day already changing and passing, a
time that has now for ever vanished, swallowed in oblivion" (Tolkien 20). Tolkien's use of Anglo–
Saxon history in The Lord of the Rings was a way to revive the culture so it would not be lost. In
this essay, Tolkien is highlighting this point, explaining that Beowulf continues to preserve the rich
culture of Old England due to it's "aesthetic qualities" and "profound appeal" (Tolkien
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39. Similarities Between Old English And Modern English
English went on a long and vigorous adventure to have become the vast language that we know,
speak and read today. In this essay, the differences and similarities between Old English and Modern
English will be discussed by referring to an extract of Matthew 2: 4–10 from The Gospel of Saint
Matthew in West Saxon: edited from the manuscripts by James Wilson Bright (1910:5–6). In the
discussion there will be referred to the differences and similarities in orthography, spelling,
vocabulary and syntax. Conclusions will also be made about the nature of these chances as they
occurred in the adventure from Old English to Modern English. The extract of Matthew 2:4–10 can
be placed between the year 592, when the Romans re–entered England, and the middle ... Show
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Quite a few of the Old English vocabulary can still be found in the Modern English we speak and
read today, it is just the spelling that differ is some places. Therefore, if read from a vocabulary
perspective, there are familiar words, for example, "awriten" which is "written", "læst" is "last",
"forð" is "forth", "steorra" is "star", etc. These are words which seems familiar, but because of the
various influences and where English comes from there is differences and unfamiliar words.
Modern English differ from Old English because as the language grew it took in more words and
replaced old versions of words (2011:22). For example, the word "sacerda" which means "priests" is
from the Latin word "sacerdos" and "folc" and "ic" is Germanic words for "people" and "I". There
are also words from Anglo–Saxon, like "heretoga" which is now "leader or commander" and
"tungelwitegan" which is now "wise
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