The Significance of the Beowulf Poem :: Epic Beowulf essays

The Significance of the Beowulf Poem      Ã‚   There are many characteristics of the Beowulf poem that make it a significant part of the history of literature.   It is a perfect representation of how the people in eighth century England communicated, what their feelings were, and their culture.   "It gives us vital information about Old English social life and about Old English politics and about many things that scholars would like to have much more information on."(Raffel ix)   Another characteristic is that the Beowulf poem was passed down orally.   The poem contains aspects of Christianity what form it takes in the story.   It is also sort of a history of how the English language has changed in the many years from then until now. The poem also contains many mythical references and it contains   a great hero.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beowulf is considered an artifact by many because "it is the oldest of the English long poems and may have been composed more than twelve hundred years ago."(Beowulf 19)   It deals with events of the early 6th century and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750.   "No one knows who composed Beowulf , or why.   A single manuscript (Cotton Vitellius A XV) managed to survive Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, and the destruction of their great libraries; since his name is written on one of the folios, Lawrence Nowell, the sixteenth-century scholar, may have been responsible for Beowulf's preservation."(Raffel ix)   An interesting fact that is unique about the poem is that "it is the sole survivor of what may have been a thriving epic tradition, and it is great poetry."(Raffel ix)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poem was composed and performed orally.   "Old English bards, or scops, most likely began by piecing together traditional short songs, called heroic lays; they then gradually added to that base until the poem grew to its present size.   The verse form is the standard Old English isochronic:   each line contains for stresses; there is a strong caesura in the middle of the lines and the resultant half lines are bound together by alliteration.   Although little Old English poetry survives, Beowulf's polished verse and reflective, allusive development suggest that it is part of a rich poetic tradition.