Beowulf’s Boast
“Greetings to Hrothgar. I am Hygelac’s
kinsman,
one of his hall-troop. When I was younger,
I had great triumphs. Then news of
Grendel,
hard to ignore, reached me at home:
sailors brought stories of the plight you
suffer
is that you won’t refuse me, who have
come this far,
the privilege of purifying Herot,
with my own men to help me, and nobody
else.
I have heard moreover that the monster
scorns
in his reckless way to use weapons;
therefore, to heighten Hygleac’s fame
in this legendary hall, how it lies deserted,
and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce
empty and useless once the evening light
sword and shelter of the broad shield,
hides itself under heaven’s dome.
the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand
So every elder and experienced
councilman
is how it will be, a life-and-death
among my people supported my resolve
fight with the fiend. Whichever one death
fells
to come here to you, King Hrothgar,
must deem it a just judgement by God.
because all knew of my awesome
strength.
If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day;
They had seen me boltered in the blood of
enemies
when I battled and bound five beasts,
raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea
slaughtered sea-brutes. I have suffered
extremes
and avenged the Geats (their enemies
brought it
upon themselves, I devastated them).
Now I mean to be a match for Grendel,
settle the outcome in single combat.
And so, my request, O king of BrightDanes,
dear prince of the Shieldings, friend of the
people
and their ring of defence, my one request
he will glut himself on the Geats in the
war-hall,
swoop without fear on that flower of
manhood
as on others before. Then my face won’t
be there
to be covered in death: he will carry my
away
as he goes to ground, gorged and
bloodied;
he will run gloating with my raw corpse
and feed on it alone, in a cruel frenzy,
fouling his moor-nest. No need then
to lament for long or lay out my body:
if the battle takes me, send back
this breast-webbing that Weland fashioned
and Hrethel gave me, to Lord Hygelac.
Fate goes ever as fate must.
Steven’s Anglo-Saxon Boast [216 words]
Greetings father, it is I, your son, who have
served you faithfully. Word reached me of a
new task in need of my heroics; of a great
Grass-jungle, thick and untamed. This lawnchaos obscures your Great Hall, ruins your
view, and makes a mockery of your fine estate.
I am Steven, and, hearing of your troubles,
knew that I was the one who could solve them
entirely. Far and wide, men and women know
of the many triumphs I have achieved. In days
past I have used the edge-trimmer, that sharp
spear-spinner, to shred and slice at grass.
Since then, you have trusted me to tend to
your tool-shed, to sort your paints, oils, and
organise that blade hall. When many enemies,
Fanged, and eight-legged, invaded my own
domains, I slew them Mercilessly and ruined
their hive, exterminating them with poison.
1. What task does the author identify in
the first stanza and how does he make it
seem heroic?
2. What three tasks has the author
previously undertaken that show he is
prepared to undertake this new task?
3. What strategy will the author employ for
undertaking this new task?
4. The author has made use of a range of
different Anglo-Saxon techniques in their
writing. See if you can identify (with
examples):
5 Kennings
2 lines of heavy alliteration
3 examples of caesura
To free your home my scheme is this: I shall
tame the shiny steel-steed, Saddle it, and
steer it into strife. I shall wear yard-armour and
drive In lines straight and true, so that the
mess and confusion is soon Replaced with
order and clean-lines. Trust me in this, lifeauthor, And your lands will me tidier than ever
before, without fear of A single leaf or blade of
grass misplaced, for I am your heir-son.
Molly’s Boast
Questions:
I, Molly of the Smith clan, Born in the land
of red clay, pine trees, and kudzu,
Descendant of Irish poets and Apache
warriors, Teacher and child of teachers, A
daughter of the Deep South, stand before
you, a modern-day Prometheus Bringing
books of brain-broadeners to bored teens.
I am a modern-day Earth stepper And I
cover continents in a stride. The Land of
the Rising Sun housed my heart for two
years Leaving was a loss I still feel. The
soil of England, Ireland, Wales, Costa
Rica, and Thailand have I also trodden
Daily I dream of other destinations to feed
my desire To see and know this beautiful
world. I have made mighty music with my
fingers, Earned an academic award or
two, Pursued the prize for two degrees in
the Lands of the Bulldogs and the
Hoosiers, Taught my native tongue to
those who have traveled far to learn it,
Claimed the king’s gold in poetry
competitions, Won the heart of a fierce,
fast, and free canine companion, And
returned to tell the tale to those who have
ears to hear. Now, I will face the fierce
class before me Full of fascinating facts to
offer I will take care of what and who are
mine, Fighting buffoons in the hall And
living by my favorite phrase, spoken by
India’s son, “Be the change you want to
see in the world.”
Questions:
1. Annotate this Boast, finding as
many literary techniques as you
can.