Weslaco East High School
810 S. Pleasantview Dr. ▪ Weslaco, TX 78596
(956) 969 – 6950
TO: English IV Advanced Placement Students
FROM: WEHS English Department
DATE: May 23, 2007
RE: Summer Assignment
Welcome to Advanced Placement Literature and Composition! The focus for this course will be British
literature. The course you have chosen for next year is similar to a freshman level literature class in college, so it is
very demanding. You must be willing to attend class every day, to participate in discussions, to keep up with
reading assignments, and most importantly, to meet deadlines. At the end of the year, you will have the opportunity
to take the AP Examination, a three-hour test that can earn credit hours in college composition. This summer, you
will read one book and work through three assignments.
Beowulf translation by Seamus Heaney: This is the ancient story of Beowulf, a Scandinavian
hero who defeats the seemingly invincible monster Grendel. Originally written by an anonymous
poet in Old English, Beowulf is the first known work written in English. Since our studies will
begin with this early period of British literature, it is the perfect starting place for the course. The
characters’ names are a bit odd because they are Anglo-Saxon. A pronunciation guide attached to
this sheet will help you to hear the names properly so you don’t need to re-learn them in the fall.
Assignments:
1. TEXT NOTES: As you read, make notes in the margins of the book. Take notes on the main themes: the
search for glory, differences in values (especially from today’s society), and good versus evil. Also look for
and make notes on archetypes you encounter. Identify use of language, literary devices, important plot points,
and lines that interest you. Do not simply highlight or underline—your work and thoughts need to be visible.
Your book will be collected on the first day of class and your marginal notes will be reviewed and graded for
thoroughness.
*NOTE: You are expected to read the Introduction, but it is best read after the story. This introduction is
meant for people who already know the history and tale of Beowulf.
2. VOCABULARY LOG: You are expected to look up and apply any words with which you are unfamiliar and
do not have a footnote in your text. It will be important that you examine the definitions you discover and
apply them to the passage you are reading. You have two options for proving that you have worked with the
vocabulary in your book—
A) Define the words right on the pages of your book. Use color coding to indicate vocabulary.
B) Create a separate vocabulary list of words and definitions that you have looked up. Find a way to
organize this list to be used to your best advantage.
3. COMPOSITION: This will be your teacher’s first evaluation of your ability to write analytically and think
deeply about your own reading. Write an organized, thesis-driven multi-paragraph composition defending or
challenging one of the statements below. They are listed from most simple to most difficult.
- Beowulf is not a hero.
- Beowulf is an example of a successful leader.
- Beowulf has no real relevance to those of us living in America in 2007.
Your book, vocabulary work, and composition will be collected and graded on the first day of class. We will
begin discussing Beowulf immediately, so be prepared to contribute to discussion.
- Weslaco East High School English Department
Beowulf Pronunciation Guide:
Accent always falls on first syllable; make the h before r and n a strongly-breathed sound; ch in the pronunciation equivalent
indicates the sound of ch in Bach or Scottish loch. The sounds indicated by -aya-and -ayo- are single syllables, somewhat like
the vowel-sounds in "yeah" and "hail."
Ælfhere
alf hair uh
Hronesnes
hron us ness
Æschere
ash hair uh
Hrothgar
hroth gar
Beanstan
bayan stahn
Hygelac
hee yuh lahk
Dæghrefn
day hreven
Nægling
nail ing
Eadgils
ayad gils (hard g)
Ohthere
ocht hair uh
Eanmund
ayan mund
Ongentheow on gen thayo (hard g)
Earnaness
er nuh ness
Scefing
shay ving
Ecgtheow
edge thayo
scop
shope
Eofor
ayo ver
Scyld
shild
Freawaru
fraya wah roo
Wealhtheow
walch thayo
Geat
yai-ott
Weohstan
wech stahn
Hæthcyn
hath kin
Wiglaf
wee lahf
Healfdene
half day nuh (pronounce the l)
Heardred
har dred
Heorogar
hair uh gar
Heorot
hair ut
Herebeald
hair uh bald
Heremod
hair uh mode
Hildeburh
hil duh burch
Hnæf
hnaff
Hoc
hoke
Hreosnabeorh hrayos nuh bairch