"Beowulf" Author Unknown

"He strode quickly across the inlaid/ Floor, snarling and fierce: his eyes/ Gleamed in the darkness, burned with a gruesome/ Light. Then he stopped, seeing the hall/ Crowded with sleeping warriors,.../ And his heart laughed, he relished the sight,/ Intended to tear the life from those bodies/ By morning."   from "Beowulf" lines 724-732


My favorite poem of all time is the epic tale of Beowulf.  It was the Die Hard of its time.  A legendary hero saving the day fighting monsters, finding treasure and ends with an epic dragon battle in which the hero's life is sacrificed.  Take that Bruce Willis.  If you have not ever read this piece of poetry I highly suggest you do.  I do not suggest you try to read it in its original text.  I attempted this once and was lost quite quickly.  There are a number of great translations.  There is also quite a number of movie versions of this poem, the most recent being my personal favorite.


This story is the oldest surviving of all epic poems written in English.  That alone shows its importance not only in history but also the future.  It shows how poetry is more than love sonnets and woeful lines of misery.  Poetry can be exciting and adventurous.  It can scare you and fill you with pride.  "Beowulf" has not stood the ages for its mere historical battle. It continues to be passed on from generation to generation because it is a timeless tale of adventure and heroics.


Link to full "Beowulf" epic poem


Here is a scene from the 2007 movie version of "Beowulf."  Though it is CGI the fighting is quite graphic and there is some PG-13 language.