The extract is taken from the epic poem Beowulf. It consists of a single section, which deals about Beowulf’s voyage to help his neighbour Heorot. It is a narrative text organized into couplets and mainly focuses on the hero’s departure and communicates all the actions done and needed to go to see.

It goes without saying that it tells about Beowulf, the protagonist, providing his characterization as well as the idea of the setting, so that intelligent reader can make up a mental picture of what he is reading.

One cannot forget that the language of the extract is not the original version, but is rather a contemporary rendering of an epic poem written in Old English. Old English was a German dialect and could not be understood to they.

The text opens with immediate reference to Grendel, so that the reader understands who the monster is and who the protagonist Beowulf is going to fight. The danger represented by the monster is suggested by the verb “heard” which comes right at the beginning of the line in an alliterative use of the language. This is done on purpose to convey its terrible reputation. Immediately after the reader is provided with information, details about the setting, so that he can better understand where events take place. “Geatland” is the focus of the setting. Immediately the intelligent reader understands the narrative strategy of the composer. The narrator wants to highlight the unique qualities of the hero that may become such just because he is ready to risk his life for a good cause: showing generosity and solidarity with they who are in danger. Beowulf is created as sort of a single personality, not as an ordinary man. “No one else” and “like him” make that clear right from the start. In addiction expressions like “alive” and “on earth” underline his peculiar strength and courage, suggesting that people different from him could not remain alive. Besides reinforcing his highly-positive reputation, the narrator underlines his feasibility in doing any sort of duty. He was “the mightiest man”. Again the use of alliteration of the sound “m” anticipates other features of this character protagonist who is from a prestigious family (“high-born”) and who has got a power that nobody wants to put into discussion. He was a smart man, able to make the right choice at the right time. He managed to choose the most suitable boat for the voyage, one “that would ply the waves”. In the 9th line instead, the narrator uses the word “nobody” at the beginning of the sentence to underline that no one could have never stopped the hero, he want to convey that Beowulf was very determined. To make this message even stronger, the composer uses again the same technique with the same results by posing “no elder” as the first two word of the sentence.

In the following part Beowulf is put into the centre of the action and it was given to him an important role highlighting his rule in the society: he was a great and charismatic leader. Later on, the alliteration between the soft sounds “s” and “f” makes the reader fell the atmosphere; a boat softly lulled by the sea; this message is recalled few lines later by a metaphor which gives the reader the impression of an elegant movement (done by the boat).

Before that though, the narrator than uses a list of verbs to transmit how the environment was: it was chaotic a lot people were doing a big number of different things.