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Beowulf: Old English Edition (Penguin Classics)

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Rafael Juan Pascual Hernández on Michael Alexander's edition of "Beowulf"
Ian Myles Slater on: The Text Edition, Not the Audio
The Real Deal!
One of teh greatest English poem of all times
A study of the language

Beowulf: Old English Edition (Penguin Classics)
Anonymous
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)
Old English Grammar and Reader
A Guide to Old English
A Concise Anglo-Saxon dictionary (MART: The Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching)
Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition

ASIN: 0140433775

Customer Reviews:

Rafael Juan Pascual Hernández on Michael Alexander's edition of "Beowulf".......2007-06-06

Being English today's 'lingua franca', it is necessary, or at least highly convenient and profitable, to know its history. Of course, it implies the study of the language at its earliest and more interesting stage: the Old English period - the English spoken by the Anglo-Saxons. And being literature a very appropriate way to approach a language, I do recommend the reading of the epic and elegiac poem "Beowulf".
This edition, by Michael Alexander (Penguin Classics, first published 1995), presents the text in the original, with a very complete glossary in every page which offers a translation of the most difficult words. Moreover, there is a very attractive introduction, an editorial preface and some notes on the metre: everything to get an accurate and full vision of the whole poem.
If you get "Beowulf: A Verse Translation", by the same author, along with this volume, you can consider yourself a lucky reader.
Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)

Rafael Juan Pascual Hernández.
rjph@correo.ugr.es

Ian Myles Slater on: The Text Edition, Not the Audio.......2004-12-29

Amazon has linked, as equivalent editions, and for reviews, two entirely distinct products. One is a recording of David Rintoul reading a translation of "Beowulf" into modern English -- presumably Michael Alexander's "Beowulf: A Verse Translation" in the Penguin Classics series. It has been linked to a separate volume in the Penguin Classics series, Michael Alexander's *edition* of the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) *text* of the early medieval poem. (I won't be more specific; pick a date after about 750 and before about 1020, you'll find a backer.)

Since Old English is a language about as different from Modern English as the latter is from, say, German, you are going to have to be careful to figure out exactly which item the reviewers are talking about -- if they get that specific. Detailed appreciations of "Beowulf" do not constitute, to my mind, a review of any particular edition, translation, or recorded reading. (Even when I agree with them; a great poem.)

Michael Alexander's text edition offers something unusual, in both the Penguin Classics series and among "Beowulf editions." It is conservatively edited -- that is, it uses consensus readings from recent critical and student editions, with no original departures in the way of conjectural emendations, etc. But instead of either a dictionary-style glossary OR a facing translation, he offers word by word glosses to each line on the page facing the Old English text. The words there are not given in the inflected or conjugated forms in which they appear in the text, but as a dictionary-style head-words. For example, in line 1590, the word "becearf" is identified by the infinitive, "beceorfan," meaning "cut off."

This is actually quite convenient for a student working with a basic textbook, more so than a conventional glossary or dictionary; instead of remembering sound-laws to find the base form, *before* looking it up, you can check your recollection against a grammatical table, or, for the some of the odder "strong" verbs, look it up to identify the type, and then work out the details. (If you haven't studied Old English, or German, trust me; that would mean a lot to you.) Additionally, for fairly long stretches, it is possible to make out a good deal of sense with just the raw vocabulary -- although hardly enough to get a real sense of the poem.

For some passages, Alexander offers footnoted translations of sentences; usually giving his solution to recognized difficulties, where the syntax is exceptionally tangled, or the train of thought depends on ideas obscure to modern readers. Although the main text does not offer information on how Alexander arrived at his readings, or suggest alternatives, there is an eleven-page list of "Manuscript Readings' indicating where unintelligible, broken, or missing words have been emended or supplemented.

This is not a substitute for a fuller introductory edition, like George Jack's "Beowulf: A Student Edition" (1994; one of Alexander's sources, with similar glosses, in this case supplementing a formal glossary). And it certainly doesn't compare to Robinson and Mitchell's more comprehensive "Beowulf: An Edition With Relevant Shorter Texts" (1998), the successive revisions of Wrenn's text by Michael Bolton (fifth edition, 1997 ) or Friedrich Klaeber's venerable but invaluable "Beowulf: and The Fight at Finnsburg" (third edition, 1936; with supplements 1941, 1950). But it is not intended to be.

In conjunction with a good textbook on the language, it would make a fine entry into the poem, in place of the very limited excerpts from the 3182-line poem usually given in a "Grammar and Reader."

And for those who have studied the poem in the original, it is a pleasant, and easily-handled refresher, without the constant presence of an "authoritative" voice, as in the bilingual editions of Seamus Heaney's celebrated recent translation (itself rather too literary for this purpose, actually), or Chickering's older "Beowulf: A Dual Language Edition."

The Real Deal!.......2004-11-05

Beowulf is the longest and oldest Germanic Epic that has survived. Our vision of the Ancient Germanic world is coloured by the Icelandic prose writers of the 13th and 14th Centuries: at a time when Old Germanic culture was dissolving into the Feudal Era. With a composition date of around 800 A.D. this national poem of the Saxons takes us back much further than the sagas do; other than a few stuck-on references to God, the whole thing is entirely pagan Germanic. It is a real miracle that this epic has survived for us! We too can enter the word-world of the old Saxon warriors. The best way to do this is of course to read the real thing: i.e. the epic poem in Anglo-Saxon. This heavily glossed edition allows you to do just that! You will need to know a few other things though, such as declensions and conjugations, but they are easily learnt: '-a' is genitive plural, and '-um' is dative plural; '-on' is the past plural ending (so, 'writ-on' means 'they wrote'). The rest of the grammar is more or less like that of Shakespeare. About 67% of the words in the epic are still used in modern English, so you'll be able to de-modernize your language very quickly! Pick up your 'bill ond byrnum' and go to battle standing beside your ancient ancestors!

One of teh greatest English poem of all times.......2004-01-22

Beowulf is a masterpiece of English literature, the mastermind of all the authors, playwrights, and many other artists coming after it. The language is rather difficult because it is Anglosaxon. But the book gives systematic notes about the words, and only the words, of the poems. Some of these notes are vague if not faultive. One example : page 51, the word « eorl » is given as meaning « man » on line 761 et « warrior » on line 769, without any more ado. We do regret that these lexical notes are not collected into a lexicon, which would save many repetitions and make it easier to find the word one is looking for. We also regret that there are no notes about the « grammar », « morphology » or « syntax » of Anglosaxon. We thus miss a lot, for example the feminine, masculine and neuter genders, and this is absolutely essential. One example : « Beowulf » is the association of the feminine « beo » meaning « bee » and the masculine « wulf » meaning « wolf ». Yet one can, if one has a good lexicon or dictionary and a good « grammar » of Anglosaxon, get into these subtleties. And then the poem is remarkably beautiful. I am not going to insist on the mirror it is for the christianizing of the old scandinavian, germanic and probably celtic mythology. This is not commonly studied, but I would like to insist on another element : the structure of the poem. The very first part is absolutely typical of the old culture : Beowulf goes out against some monsters who have survived from a very old period, a very old race (the giants who have been locked up in some mountain by the Gods of this religion), and he conquers glory and fame. There is no « fate » in this section, or very little. Beowulf is a young « adventurer » who blazes his trail through the world and history. Then there is a long transition from this glorious age to old age and death and there a new discourse appears and builds itself in the poem : man has to assume some fate that comes from God. Man has to stand up in front of his fate, no matter what it may bring, because it is his divine dimension that demands it. This is both Christian and germanic. So Beowulf is courageous and tries to bring good living conditions to his people because that is his responsibility in front of God, be he the Christian God or Odin, or the « weird sisters » of Shakespeare, the three Norns, Urd, Vervandi and Skuld. But the last part goes beyond this rather non-defined transition. Beowulf has to fight again against a monster, this time a dragon. This fight is Christian in many ways because the dragon is a reference to the « Book of Revelations », or Daniel's dragon Bel. It is Christian because Beowulf will give the order to bury forever the hoard of this dragon for two reasons : men are not supposed to be greedy any more, and this hoard comes from very old periods of human history and represents the culture of these old centuries. Greed is a capital sin and these old centuries have to be rejected, along with their culture and religion. But, yet, Beowulf is a man who carries the culture of past ages and his burial is typically that of a hero of the past : the pyre, the cremation, though not with a woman, wife or servant or slave, or any other human being who would sacrifice him/herself or be sacrificed to the dead man ; the twelve children going around the tomb represent the twelve rune, Eoh or Eihwaz, the yew tree, a symbol of death in germanic culture, a symbol of Odin's final battle, the Ragnarok, the end of the world, brought down by a general war among all human races and gods alike, with maybe the promise of a regeneration. This death is a tremendous mixing of Christian and Germanic beliefs, though this death is christianized in its perspective : to bring peace to the world, to reject greed, to look for a regeneration of the soul, to believe that man can improve. And yet it is the negation of the « Thing » political system of this culture : the king, who should be elected by the people, is here designated if not appointed by the dying king, Beowulf, in the face of death and God. This is in a way a justification of God-anointed kingship, hence the shift from the old germanic « Thing » democracy to a feudal God-appointed kingship. That poem is definitely one of the most powerful and important poems of English culture. It should be studied in depth by all students or scholars who want to understand anything about the English mind ; even today and probably tomorrow.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

A study of the language.......2001-12-02

This is an excellent book for those who wish to study the original language, and Anglo-Saxon verse. The editor does not include a lot of distracting material, nor are there deep discussions of the theological, allegorical, sociological, etc etc, implications of the poem.

Instead, what you have is a book which has the original text on the left pages, and glosses on right pages. Not 100% of the words are glossed, such as "and". The glosses are all standardized as nom. singular nouns and inf. verbs. This means that the reader should know, or perhaps will learn from reading, the grammar of the language.

A lot of people seem to know about Beowulf, but have no clue what it is. A lot people also consider Old English to be some quaint "high mode" of english, spoken by Knights in Shining Armor.

Some are "forced" to study the poem, in school. And there are those who want to study the poem, for whateve reason.

This book should be useful to all who are interested, or need to be interested.

Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)

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The original super hero
Important, Tedious

Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)
Anonymous
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Beowulf: Old English Edition (Penguin Classics)
The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Classics)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Penguin Classics)
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
The Canterbury Tales: In Modern English (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 0140449310
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Book Description

Translated by Michael Alexander.

Customer Reviews:

The original super hero.......2003-05-23

Beowulf is the original super hero, doing deeds other dare not do. I found Beowulf to also be a generalization of life. In our youth we think ourselves invincible and do daring things. As we get older, we get tied down to a job. In our old age, our strength fails us. Then it is up to the next generation to take over, with all their zeal and enthusiasim.

The translation from Old English came through nicely and even had some flow. Beowulf may be the most important Old English poem, but it is also an important Germanic epic poem, and little seems lost or changed by the Christian writers.

Important, Tedious.......2000-07-25

This book is considered to be one of the most important pieces of early english literature. By virtue of this alone, most everyone who goes through high school is forced to read it. It reads as a mildly interesting narrative. This translation is decent but fails to bring the story really to life. Beowulf, here, is a laborius and uninvolving read. If you are reading this for fun, you are better off seeking another translation (like Seamus Heaney). I suppose everyone should read this book to make themselves more knowledgeable of english literature, but it requires a sheer act of will. Unless you are forced to read it or really want to read it, you will probably be bored by this translation.

Beowulf: A Prose Translation (Penguin Classics)

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Epic Poem Becomes Clumsy Narrative
best translation i've read
The First English Epic
Highly Readable
Brilliant

Beowulf: A Prose Translation (Penguin Classics)
Anonymous
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Ancient, Classical & Medieval | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140440704

Customer Reviews:

Epic Poem Becomes Clumsy Narrative.......2002-02-18

This is an extremely poor translation of Beowulf for anyone who wants more than just a narrative summary. Wright has, by his own admission, eliminated most of the poetic language from the original poem. The poetic, metaphor-like kennings seemed to him puzzles and word games which barred the reader from the real meanings of the narrative. The appositives used in place of actual names and pronouns he found "long-winded," and the poetic descriptions pretentious. Wright, apparently believing readers not intelligent enough to understand creative language, has given us a translation of Beowulf in the form of highly simplified prose, with few poetic descriptions or language that will "distract the reader" from the narrative. What remains is a clumsy, awkwardly worded translation which offers little to replace the poetry Wright has hacked out of it. Any lover of language will be deeply disappointed by this translation.

best translation i've read.......2000-10-19

My professor recomended this translation to me, and even as a novice in medieval studies, I still think it is far better than what I read in high school. Wright offers fascinating historical information at the beginning and termination of the story that give the non professional reader good insights and background on the implications and circumstances surrounding obscure events in the plot. A reader can walk away with both a great story and a better understanding of the complex time called the Dark Ages.

The First English Epic.......2000-08-10

"Beowulf," a poem written sometime between the eighth and tenth centuries AD, is the first surviving epic in what would become the English language. Beowulf is a young man, who, in his youth, was an unsettled, unmotivated prince of the Danish Geats. As he matures, he hears of a neighbouring king's problems, and ventures on the sea to help out. Beowulf's motivation is to rise above his early dissipation and make a name of fame and glory through great deeds.

Beowulf's relationship with the troubled king Hrothgar, and his feud with the demonic beast Grendel are integral parts of this work, known to students of English throughout the world. Through all the war-boasts, battles, and gift-giving, look for the touching humility of Beowulf, rendering him a complex and emotionally involving character.

Even in translation, the syntax of "Beowulf" can be convoluted and difficult to follow, but the outline of the story despite its language and frequent flashbacks, is still easy to discern and appreciate. "Beowulf" offers us a glimpse into two cultures: The culture of the writer, along with his values, religious and social; and The culture of Beowulf, from centuries before the writer, a society based on kinship and reciprocality. For those who enjoyed Michael Crichton's "The 13th Warrior," nee "Eaters of the Dead," "Beowulf" is an important literary forebear, and it is wonderful to read the two together and compare.

Highly Readable.......2000-05-05

I enjoyed the opportunity to read Beowulf and focus on the narrative, the story, rather than the language. Not as a substitute for a verse rendition, but as another way to look at a classic. If you bother reading (or even skimming) the introduction, you will find that David Wright presents a good argument for providing the alternative of a prose version. For me, it was a different and highly readable way to revisit the epic.

Brilliant.......2000-04-26

I have not read the original, but this translation's strength clearly lies in its effective use of focused and forceful modern prose. Warriors have rarely spoken better.

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Beowulf: A Prose Translation Penguin Classics
David Wright
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ4GIY

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Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)
Michael Alexander
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ99U4

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Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)
Michael Alexander
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJFLCY

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Beowulf: Old English Edition (Penguin Classics)
Michael (Editor) Anonymous Alexander
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJD4AU

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