Beowulf Revisited Half a Decade Later

My first and last encounter with Beowulf and Grendel was in my sophomore or junior year of high school. I remember enjoying the classic English epic poem, and appreciating the analysis and snark from John Gardener's take on the legend. Coming back to the text years later, I was unsure of what to expect. Could Beowulf hold up to my existing memories of it?

Not really, no.

Several issues rose up during my return to Beowulf. First, the poem was far more flowery and descriptive than I remembered. Prose can be beautiful if pulled off subtly and with enough skill, but Beowulf's overly-long descriptions drain any enthusiasm I have for getting the scene established. Not helping is the fact that I already knew of every twist and turn the story would take. I had avoided getting the book spoiled prior to my first reading of it. Today, though, I saw everything coming and plodded along.

The greatest problem I have with revisiting Beowulf is that there is little to no room for speculation and analysis. The way the story is written gives the characters very basic motivations for their actions. Unless you really stretch the material, you cannot theorize on much the story has to offer.

Because of the last issue in particular, this blog post will be shorter than usual. I still look back on the poem fondly, though. It has its merits, and should still be taught in English classes.

Side note - somehow, I still remember some parts of the comedy version of Beowulf my high school English teacher gave my class for April Fool's. Beowulf made a string of hand-related puns after defeating Grendel, called Unferth a poser, and was oddly specific on how many men he would take to assist the Danes.