AP Lit and Comp
Anglo Saxon Boast Project
Sanders
Anglo-Saxon Boast Project (test grade): DUE ON ______________________________
The heroes of epic poetry often boast of their achievements. By boasting, the hero shows that
he/she has already won fame and intends to do so again. Fame was especially important to AngloSaxons. Many pagan religions offered no hope of redemption in an afterlife, so fame was the best
prospect they had for a kind of immortality.
The boast of an Anglo-Saxon warrior was not considered an instance of conceit but was instead
a method of inspiring heroic deeds. We have read of the many exploits of Beowulf and the many brave
thanes among the Danes, Geats, and Swedes. We know, too, that the Anglo-Saxons saw nothing wrong
with letting the world know who they were, who their noble parents were, what great feats they had
accomplished, and what they planned to do. This boasting was perfectly polite, even expected. In
Beowulf, see lines 220-265 for an example of the formal Anglo-Saxon boast.
Your assignment is to write a formal boast about yourself. Tell us your deeds, who your parents
are, what you plan to do, and how you’re “not gonna take nothing from no one”. Lay aside your
humility! Remember, you’ll soon be venturing into a world that knows nothing about you, and as you
are applying for scholarships, college, or full-time careers, you may need to do a bit of boasting.
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Your boast should appear similar to Beowulf’s boast and must be a minimum of 30 lines
long.
Your boast must begin with a statement of who you are (your real name or your warrior
name).
Explain what you intend to do.
Explain why you are qualified to be a warrior hero.
Explain how you intend to accomplish your deed.
Include at least four lines of heavy alliteration.
Include three original kennings (example: ring-giver, sin-stained demon)
Boasts may be serious, satirical, ironic, and/or humorous (but CLEAN, always clean)
You may use “artistic license” to add interest to your boasts (in other words, you may
stretch the truth some).
Turn in a written or typed copy of your boast. Then save a copy which will be included in
your Autobiography assignment
Worth 100 test/project points. (See back side for grading rubric.)
Use Beowulf’s boast before fighting Grendel as your example. Lines 220-265, p. 29-30.
AP Lit and Comp
Anglo Saxon Boast Project
Sanders
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Anglo-Saxon Boast Project (grading rubric): Staple this side up on top of your hand-in copy.
Minimum of 30 lines typed in poetic form (see example from Literature book):
30 pts
Includes at least four lines of heavy alliteration (5 pts per line of alliteration, min. 3 words):
20 pts
Includes three original kennings (10 pts each kenning):
30 pts
Includes a statement of who you are and your qualifications:
5 pts
Includes a statement of what you intend to do and how you will do it:
5 pts
Copy is proofread, not too many mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
5 pts
Rubric is stapled to typed copy submitted for grading:
5 pts
100 pts
How you did:
Minimum of 30 lines typed in poetic form (see example from Literature book):
pts
Includes at least four lines of heavy alliteration (5 pts per line of alliteration, min. 3 words):
pts
Includes three original kennings (10 pts each kenning):
pts
Includes a statement of who you are and your qualifications:
pts
Includes a statement of what you intend to do and how you will do it:
pts
Copy is proofread, not too many mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
pts
Rubric is stapled to typed copy submitted for grading:
pts
Pts*
*Points will be entered in grade book as test/essay points.