Beowulf in Class

[The Comedian]

Wasn't sure whether to put this question here or in the education-related sections. But I have some questions regarding peoples' classroom experiences with Beowulf.


When, if ever, did you read Beowulf?

Did you read it in translation or in OE or both?

Sort of related to question two, in what way did you read or discuss Beowulf -- as language/poetry or as history/culture?

And finally, a more personal/emotional response. Did you like reading it? If it's been a while since you last read it, are you glad that you read it? Why?


I'm asking because I'm putting together an Introduction to Literature course, early college/university level, and am thinking of using Beowulf (Heaney translation) to broadly address the poetry aspect of the course. And then use Gardner's novel Grendel to help illustrate literature as a "conversation of arts" . . .so to speak.

Oh, and I never read Beowulf in school. Ever. What a shame.

[Sionn Harrow]

I read Beowulf in the 4rth grade.
We read an English translation by Seaums Heaney.
We discussed it as both culture and poetry.
I HATED reading it at the time. It was poetry, and I don't think it's fair to ask a 4rth grader to read and appreciate poetry. I'm going to have to read it again this year for school...ugh. I guess overall though, I'm glad I read it. I wish that the teacher had waited till now, when I can appreciate it more, but it was a good experience. Plus I get to gripe about it...beowulf in the 4rth grade-- UGH.

[The Comedian]

I read Beowulf in the 4rth grade.
We read an English translation by Seaums Heaney.
We discussed it as both culture and poetry.
I HATED reading it at the time. It was poetry, and I don't think it's fair to ask a 4rth grader to read and appreciate poetry. I'm going to have to read it again this year for school...ugh. I guess overall though, I'm glad I read it. I wish that the teacher had waited till now, when I can appreciate it more, but it was a good experience. Plus I get to gripe about it...beowulf in the 4rth grade-- UGH.

4th grade! Wow. That is really, really, really, really, really young to read that text.

Thanks for answering the questions. It really helps, although, I'm still stunned that you read that book so early.

[Sionn Harrow]

My elementary school didn't believe that the brain goes through different stages of developement. Logic for 9 year olds? heck, why not. Epic poetry for 4rth graders? sure, they'll suffer, but it'll build character.

I personally don't think I got a whole lot out of it, but only because I didn't know what half the words meant :P

[Lokasenna]

1. My school had a look at it at GCSE level, though I was in the set that read Dracula instead. I read it anyway, and managed to get my hands on a lot of the teaching materials. Bit of a shame, that.

2. The teacher who took it did it primarily in translation, but devoted a lesson to having a look at a few passages in OE. I would advise against not using a translation if it's an introductory thing. OE takes quite a bit of practice.

3. It was fundamentally approached (quite rightly) as a literary text. Have you by any chance read Tolkien's famous essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics? It's probably the most important thing ever written on Beowulf, and Tollers argues that we do it a disservice if we take it as history - it's vivid use of imagery, subtlety of pacing and powerful use of poetic forms are far more interesting than its highly dodgy history.

4. Well, I'm a professional medievalist, so the answer to this question is probably obvious!

One thing: are you really sure about using Heaney's translation? Amongst the purists (and that includes me, I'm afraid) it is mentioned only with disdain. His translation is so loose as to basically be a different poem - the cost is that the poetic force of the original is lost. Much as I like Heaney, he simply isn't as good a poet as whoever composed Beowulf.

Unless you are commited to using the Heaney translation, I'd seriously recommend Michael Swanton's (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beowulf-Manchester-Medieval-Studies-Michael/dp/0719051460) edition as the most accurate translation. Also, if you change your mind and decide to have a go in the original OE, then George Jack's (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beowulf-Student-George-Jack/dp/0198710445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297106974&sr=1-1) student edition is by far and away the best version - an excellent preparation of the text, and a very supportive gloss.

Hope that helps somewhat - I'm just pleased that Beowulf is going to be on your course!

[The Comedian]

@ Lokasenna -- thanks for that response. Regarding the Heaney translation. . . . the course is a standard Introduction to Literature course, so I'm not as concerned about the accuracy of the Beowulf translation as I am its accessibility to modern readers. I hope to tease those most interested into the OE with a few passages -- I'm terrible with OE, so I won't spend much time with this aspect.

I defiantly have not settled on a translation, and I will check out the others that you list here for sure. If anything, using some different translations of the same passage will enable me to discuss the poetic devices of both old and modern English effectively and that, in essence, is the more fundamental point of an Intro class: the discussion of the craft of poetry.

EDIT: Yep, I'd certainly use the Tolkien essay. I'm trying to establish the thematic thread of "authors writing for/about/to other authors" thread in this course. . ."a conversation of arts" so to speak, the the Tolkien essay is certainly a strand that line.

[Wilde woman]

1. I've read Beowulf twice in academic settings. The first time was in high school and the second time just this past semester in a mixed undergraduate/graduate level course.

2. I'm not an Anglo-Saxonist, so both times were in translation.

3. I don't remember how we discussed it in high school, other than as the earliest English literature. And I hated it. This last semester, though, we read it purely as literature (and more specifically as translatable literature). If you're doing this with students who have zero background in medieval lit, though, it could be interesting to read it as a sort of window into Anglo-Saxon culture. Not pure history, per se, but as a cultural lens.

4. Like Lok, I'm a medievalist, so I'm biased. I immensely enjoyed reading it very closely and very slowly last semester, and it completely reversed my opinion of it since my last high school outing with it. I think what made it so much more enjoyable for me was 1) having an Anglo-Saxonist teach it, since she was sooooo enthusiastic about it, 2) getting some historical context for it, 3) having time in class to do some pretty in-depth close readings, read criticism, and even learn a bit of OE, and 4) reading so many related pieces - Hrolfkraki's Saga, Grettir's Saga, and seeing movie adaptations.

Good luck with the course!