ENGLISH REVIEWER:

Beowulf is the first epic poem in the English Language.

- This epic poem is from the Ilocos region and narrated originally in Ilocano. It tells
the story of an extraordinary being who, at nine months, searched for his father in
the high lands. - Biag ni Lam-ang
- This Maranao epic tells the story of the king of Mantapuli and his brother.
- - Indarapatra and Sulayman
- this epic of Maranao is recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a “Masterpiece of the oral and intangible
heritage of humanity.” - Darangen
- This epic is attributed to the Greek poet Homer and narrates the journey of the
Hero named Odysseus. - Odyssey

Old English, Middle English, and the Modern English:

Middle eng - 1100’s to 1400’s

Modern eng - Anglo-saxon 1400’s onwards
Middle English - has more simplified grammar than of the Old English.

Beowulf is an Anglo-American epic that shows cultural diversities and values of

the past.

EPIC POETRY
- It is a form of narrative verse distinguished by a long account of a hero’s deeds
and adventures.
some of the common elements of epics:
1. Superhuman strength and valor - great physical strength and determination
2. Legendary Hero - devine being / god/godess
3. Involvement of the Supernatural - interventions by otherworldy forces
4. Omniscient Narration - objective and sees knows everything
5. Epic Style of Writing formal, lyrical, poetic, and sophisticated
6. Multiple Settings - do not remain in one location

LANGUAGE OF BEOWULF
Since Beowulf is an Old English epic poem, most modern English readers
tend to have a hard time understanding the language used in the poem.

1. Archaic Words- words which are no longer in everyday use but sometimes
are still used by some modern writers for specific effects.

SOME EXAMPLES OF ARCHAIC WORDS:

Aye- yes
Behold - see or observe
Betwixt - between
Bruit - spread rumors
Commend - entrust
Degree - social rank
Doth - do

2. Kennings- combinations of often hyphenated words, to form a poetic

expression used in place of a more familiar word.

3. Alliteration- repetition of initial consonants of words or of stressed

syllables for poetic effect. Also known as head rhyme or initial rhyme.
Examples:
Fell and Frantic, and forced from their slumbers
Thirty of thanemen; thence he departed

NORMAL AND INVERTED WORD ORDER

- Normal Word Order is when the subject comes before the verb.
- Inverted Word Order is when the subject comes after the verb, in between verb
parts, or sometimes, not present at all.

● his type of inversion is called the subject-auxiliary inversion. It is

commonly used in interrogative sentences.
1. When the statement begins with negative words such as never, rarely, barely,
and scarcely
Example:
Barely have I read such colorful adventure.

2. When shortening clauses or inversion with so, neither, nor to express

agreement
Example/s:
You have eaten supper, and so have I.
She is in grade 9, and so am I.

3. When the word only precedes the adverbial clauses or phrases.

Example/s:
Only after the class, can you go to classroom.

4. When the transposed word order is used after the prepositional phrase of place.
Example/s:
Down the cellar hides Jeffrey.
Over the table hangs a painting
Behind me cries a child

Beowulf is the only surviving example of heroic story told on an epic scale in an
ancient Germanic tongue. The events that happened in the epic have references in
history such as the setting, which is heathen Scandinavia of the sixth century; the
history of the Geatish royal house over a period of three generations; the other
feuding clans; and the influence of Christianity in the region.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC HERO:

In an epic poem, the protagonist is considered a legendary hero. His tale is

considered to be worth narrating as he is the ideal man expected to save a
tribe, kingdom, or a particular world.

1. skilled, strong, and brave;

2. Victorious in war;
3. Able to give importance to honor and glory;
4. able to fight demons, monsters, or temptations;
5. fair to his followers but cruel to enemies;
6. able to welcome challenges and problems; and
7. able to descend into the unknown darkness (the underworld)

Notes in Beowulf:
King Hrothgar – The king of the Danes.
Grendel – the demon-like creature
Heorot – King Hrothgar’s wealthy mead-hall that he built.
Beowulf – A young warrior from the Geatland.
Sentences - are constructed in a way that messages are communicated
effectively.
Normal Word Order - is when the subject comes before the verb.
Inverted Word Order - is when the subject comes after the verb, in between
verb parts, or sometimes, not present at all.

Hymns - It is a lyrical composition expressive of religious aspiration, petition,

confession, communion, or praise. It is neither a poem alone nor music alone.

1. True hymn- a hymn addressed to God and considered as prayers and

should be sung accordingly. “Caedmon’s Hymn” is considered as a true hymn.
2. Psalms- the hymns found in the Book of Psalms in the Bible. The Psalms
(from Greek psalms “song”) are poems and hymns, dating from various... In its
present form, the book of Psalms consists of 150 poems divided into five books
(1–41, 42–72, 73–89, 90–106, 107–150)
3. Spiritual songs- hymns that uplift the worshippers and are addressed to
them than to a deity.
4. Chorales- characterized mainly by their even rhythm, which lends great
stateliness to their performance. A chorale is the melody of a Christian hymn, or
religious song.
5. Gospel hymn- developed in the past century by preachers but does not
really refer to the Gospel. Gospels songs are generally defined as songs with a
refrain, written during the past two centuries. These songs focus on “getting saved”
and celebrating newfound freedom in Christ.

“Caedmon’s Hymn” was composed in the mid- or late seventeenth century, and
is considered as one of the earliest surviving Old English poems.
It is found in the book entitled An Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a
series that details Britain’s history up to 729 AD.
Venerable Bede - a monk at the English monastery in Northumbria that wrote
Caedmon’s Hymn. He recorded that Caedmon was an illiterate farmer working for a
monastery.