Beowulf is the most important epic poem of the Anglo - Saxon culture. It was written in the 7th century and it was handed down orally. It speaks about Beowulf, a hero who helped Hrothgar, king of Danes. He fights Grendel, a monster that descended from Cain and emerged from the swampy lowlands. Beowulf is described by the narrator in such way to underline the qualities on which the Anglo-Saxon society was based. The author donesn't describe the character directly but he characterizes him with his actions. He is "the mightiest men on earth, high-born and powerful", he is a very strong man, he helps people in dangers and he is courageous. He represents the typical values of a military tribes: power, courage, loyalty and generosity. But Beowulf becomes a hero only when he dies. Analysis: From reading the title the reader can understand that surely the main character of the poem will be Beowulf. The second element that the reader can notice is that the poem is divided into two stanzas. From reading the extract the reader can gain an idea of the role of Beowulf. The poem begins with his characterization, he is described with these sentences:

• There was no one else like him alive
• He was the mightiest man on earth, high born and powerful.

After that the narrator speaks about Beowulf's actions: he ordered a boat and he announced his plane. In line nine the reader can understand the relationship between the people of the tribes and the hero. As matter of fact we can see that nobody tried to keep Beowulf from going and no elder denied him to leave. this underlines Beowulf's generosity and mutual help as one of the typical features of primitive societies. In the second stanza the narrator tells about the trip Beowulf did to arrive in Denmark. In the poem as for the sound level, there are only alliterations (for example in this day, he was the mightiest man on the earth). But the element that is more frequently used is the kenning, a metaphorical phrase that is used to refer tosomething different. An example is "to sail the swan's road" that means to sail the sea.