A View of Beowulf in a Power Point Format

Text analysis of “Beowulf”

Beowulf is the earliest example of an epic poem in English literature.

The title of the poem “Beowulf” is also the name of the protagonist: he is a hero, powerful, generous and loyal and will face a lot of difficult situations and, in the end, he will die.

When the reader looks at the layout, he notices that it is divided into two stanzas. The first one is made up of 16 lines.

The language used is a modern rendering of Old English, by Seamus Heaney (published in 2000.
The poem starts with the introduction of the hero: Beowulf. He was the best man in the world: his physical appearance is not given but we know that he was “the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful” and “there was no one else like him, alive.” As a matter of fact, Beowulf is respected by all the people: he has noble lineage, indeed he is the commander and “Nobody tried to keep it from going, no elder denied him, dear has he was to them.”

The hyperbole is used very frequently in Beowulf and, in general, in all the epic poems: the figure of hero in the poem must be nearly divine.

The poem, further, reflects the traditional values of the Anglo-Saxon society: loyalty, generosity and courage.