Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition

action alliteration Anglo-Saxon audience Beowulf Beowulf poet called century character Christian composed composition compound concerning creatures critics Danes death diction dragon early England English Studies epic evidence example existence express fight follows formulaic Geats Germanic given Grendel Heorot hero hero's heroic Hrothgar human important kind king known language later Latin learned lines listeners literature lives London Lord means monsters narrative narrator nature never occur Old English once oral passage past patterns performance perhaps period person phrase poem poem's poet poet's poetic poetry praise present readers reference rhetorical rule seems sense shows singer society song speaks speech story structure Studies style suggest taken tells theme things thought tion tradition treasure University University Press verse