The Significance of the Beowulf Poem

The Significance of the Beowulf Poem

There are many characteristics of the Beowulf poem that make it a

significant part of the history of literature. It is a perfect representation

of how the people in eighth century England communicated, what their feelings

were, and their culture. "It gives us vital information about Old English

social life and about Old English politics and about many things that scholars

would like to have much more information on."(Raffel ix) Another characteristic

is that the Beowulf poem was passed down orally. The poem contains aspects of

Christianity what form it takes in the story. It is also sort of a history of

how the English language has changed in the many years from then until now. The

poem also contains many mythical references and it contains a great hero.

Beowulf is considered an artifact by many because "it is the oldest of

the English long poems and may have been composed more than twelve hundred years

ago."(Beowulf 19) It deals with events of the early 6th century and is believed

to have been composed between 700 and 750. "No one knows who composed Beowulf ,

or why. A single manuscript (Cotton Vitellius A XV) managed to survive Henry

VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, and the destruction of their great

libraries; since his name is written on one of the folios, Lawrence Nowell, the

sixteenth-century scholar, may have been responsible for Beowulf's

preservation."(Raffel ix) An interesting fact that is unique about the poem is

that "it is the sole survivor of what may have been a thriving epic tradition,

and it is great poetry."(Raffel ix)

The poem was composed and performed orally. "Old English bards, or

scops, most likely began by piecing together traditional short songs, called

heroic lays; they then gradually added to that base until the poem grew to its

present size. The verse form is the standard Old English isochronic: each line

contains for stresses; there is a strong caesura in the middle of the lines and

the resultant half lines are bound together by alliteration. Although little

Old English poetry survives, Beowulf's polished verse and reflective, allusive

development suggest that it is part of a rich poetic tradition.